RE330 Portraits of the Marys: Skidmore College Fall 2000

The history of Christianity, by and large, has been equated with the history of Jesus. Within the artistic traditions of Christianity, however, we often see Jesus accompanied by his mother Mary, or Miriam, as she was known in the Jewish and Early Christian tradition. What do we know of Mary¹s life? And what of Mary Magdalene, Jesus¹ disciple, the first person according to the gospels to witness the risen Christ the same woman who has been derided in Christian tradition as a prostitute? This course will focus on the "Blessed Virgin" Mary and on Mary Magdalene in Christian religious traditions in the early period, up to the end of antiquity.

Course Format: This will be predominantly a seminar course, though certain classes will be conducted as lectures. We will lead off each session with an overview of the week¹s readings. Like all the 300-level courses in the Department of Philosophy and Religion, RE330 "Portraits of Mary" will be a 4-credit course. As such, we will meet for an extra hour once a week, on Tuesday evening from 7:30-8:30 p.m.. This hour will be devoted to work on our collaborative video documentary project. Attendance and participation in this extra hour is mandatory, and an integral part of the learning experience of the class.