Today, July 22nd, marks the the feast of Mary Magdalene in the Catholic Church. For about fourteen centuries, the Church identified Jesus’s closest female companion as a reformed prostitute, though in 1969 the church changed its mind and quietly admitted that the claim wasn’t actually based on anything written in the Bible.
Culturally the image of Magdalene as a loose woman lingers, though. From Jesus Christ Superstar to the Last Temptation of Christ to Hal Hartley’s awkward Apple ad The Book Of Life, she’s portrayed sexually. She’s been portrayed in film by Monica Bellucci, Juliette Binoche, Miranda Richardson, Yvonne Elliman and PJ Harvey. Harvey’s aggressive, gothy take on the Saint in The Book of Life especially sticks.
Growing up Catholic, I always thought Mary Magdalene was one of the most intriguing Biblical figures. That a woman, a prostitute, should be the first to discover the resurrection was very exciting to me, and it hinted that Christianity didn’t have to be as backward and misogynistic as everyone made it out to me. Some Biblical scholars argue that Mary Magdalene actually even wrote the Gospel of John, and others say that she was the wife of Jesus. I certainly haven’t done any research to back up or refute either of those claims, and really don’t want to, but I do think of her as a cultural icon, even if few others do. (She’s also the patron saint of hairdressers, which I think would elevate her cool status a little, but I guess not.)
After the jump, PJ Harvey’s The Faster I Breathe The Further I Go (from The Book of Life) and a video of If I Can’t Have You singer Yvonne Elliman in Jesus Christ Superstar, as well as three audio versions of the song:
I’m so so so so so so so so sorry it’s been two months since I made you guys a mixtape. Hopefully I’ll be better about that in the future. Installment #37 is slow and kind of indie-hippie-ish. I’m not quite sure why, so I’ll blame it on two consecutive months of rain. The Eulogies and Matteah Baim albums have been favorites around here lately, and of course everything by Jose Feliciano is always wonderful. (If you like vinyl, his 10 To 23 album is pretty easy to find for cheap and it’s one of my favorite records.)
Side A (zip)
The Kingsbury Manx, Shoulder Stories
The Bicycles, No One Can Touch You Now
Eulogies, The Fight (I’ve Come To Like)
NinetyNine, Population 100 000
Jose Feliciano, The Windmills of Your Mind
Father Murphy, I Ran Out Of Fuel And A Viper Just Bit Me
Helium, Clementine
Fun Boy Three, Our Lips Are Sealed (Urdu Version)
Britta Phillips & Dean Wareham, I Deserve It
Side B (zip)
Woods, How To Survive In
Querent, Jizelle
The Balky Mule, A Moth
Broadcast, I Found The F
Sweet, Fox On The Run
The Deep Dark Woods, When First Into This Country
Swimsuit Issue, House Fire
The Strokes, Meet Me In The Bathroom (Home Recording)
Jeannie C. Riley, I Almost Called Your Name
Matteah Baim, Monkey Chant
