The authors of this book seek to peel away the tradition and confusion over Mary Magdalene, sometimes a combination of five different women mentioned in the gospels, and to look at her through a feminist reading of the texts. Mary's position in church history, literature and even modern films is discussed along with her importance as a figure for Christian woman - Mary is both an example of equality in church and society and a representation of women throughout history "who have been distorted, ignored, appropriated and denied authority." They discuss the obsession with Mary's sexuality and images of her as a madwoman against the importance of her as a witness to the resurrection and, for some scholars, a successor to Jesus hinted at in John 20. The book is easy to read, written with lots of author's comments and without requiring knowledge of biblical scholarship. Its strongly feminist tone might be off-putting to some but it is a useful summary of the situation of Mary Magdalene in the church through the ages. Reviewed originally for Christian Marketplace