I Will Teach You What Is Hidden: Meggan Watterson on the Gospel of Mary and "Real" Theology (Show Notes)

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Feminist theologian and best-selling author Meggan Watterson joins us for a crackling conversation about the Gospel of Mary, the "apocryphal" Christian text that gives voice to Mary Magdalene’s spiritual authority and visionary insight.

In this episode, Meggan shares the moment she first encountered Mary’s words, “I will teach you about what is hidden from you,” and the profound experience of direct contact that convinced her this overlooked gospel has the power to speak to us and transform how we understand Christianity, theology, and our own selves and souls.

Together we explore why texts like the Gospel of Mary were suppressed, why embodied and experiential forms of theology are still dismissed as “not real,” and what it means to reclaim the wisdom that has long been hidden at the heart of the Christian tradition.

This is the first half of a two-part conversation. In Part 2, we turn to the story of Thecla in the Acts of Paul and Thecla, another suppressed Christian text that reveals perhaps an even more radical of spiritual authority and liberation.

• Visit Meggan's Website

• Mary Magdalene Revealed: The First Apostle, Her Feminist Gospel & the Christianity We Haven't Tried Yet

• The Girl Who Baptized Herself: How a Lost Scripture About a Saint Named Thecla Reveals the Power of Knowing Our Worth

Episode Highlights

[00:51] Introducing Meggan Watterson

• Introducing Meggan Watterson—Harvard-trained feminist theologian and bestselling author of Mary Magdalene Revealed and The Girl Who Baptized Herself.

[04:57] Real Theology?

• Meggan reflects on the backlash she receives for writing theology through personal experience and embodiment. We lavish her with praise and gratitude while sharing some similar experiences and perspectives.

[16:25] The Gospel of Mary

• What is the Gospel of Mary? Meggan explains how this lost Christian text survived centuries of suppression and why its message—centered on interior spiritual knowledge and Mary Magdalene’s authority—presents a radically different vision of what it means to follow Christ. Meggan recounts her powerful encounter with Mary’s words, “I will teach you about what is hidden from you.”

[30:47] Why Mary Was Silenced

• We explore why voices like Mary Magdalene’s were erased from the Christian canon and what it means for modern seekers that these texts are resurfacing now.

Continue the Conversation

What did you think about this conversation? Tell us at gospelofdirectexperience@gmail.com or reach out at: https://www.gospelofdirectexperience.com/#contact.