How Early Christianity Buried the Feminine and the Divine
My eleven-year-old was watching me wade through a mound of reading material and asked me what I was studying. I told him, “I’m reading some of the Gnostic Gospels and what scholars have to say about them.”
He rolled his eyes. He didn’t even know what I was talking about, but when he heard the word “gospel” he couldn’t help but show his disdain. He’s dismissive of the Bible and the stories in it. He’s a logical kid who is more interested in what he can see and prove than faith and miracles. And, truth be told, I think he is resentful of how often Chapel interferes with his recess at school.
“I see you rolling your eyes. But what if I told you there were early Christian writings that men ordered buried or burned because they threatened their power? What if one of these buried Gospels showed us that Jesus trusted a woman more than any other disciple to understand his teachings? Do you think that would change the way the world views women? Would it change the way you view Christianity?”
His eyes piqued with interest. "Yeah, because women would no longer be on the margins with their only role being to support men and have children. If Jesus chose a woman to be a leader and a teacher, that would change everything. It would make Christianity more believable."
“Explain what you mean,” I said.
“Well, you always say we’re all equal in God’s eyes. So, it never made sense to me that Jesus, who is supposedly God in human form, would come all the way to Earth and then treat half the population as less than. He could cure leppers and create wine out of water, but he couldn’t see women as worthy as men? If Jesus really was Divine, wouldn’t he have been able to see past gender? Wouldn’t he love and trust women just as much as men?”
Yes, son. He would. And I believe there is now proof that he did. This is why the Gnostic texts are so important.
The Gnostic texts refer to early Christian writings that were destroyed or hidden. They were deemed heretical by orthodox Christianity. Many of these texts were unearthed in Egypt in 1945, others were found in old libraries in Egypt. They tell stories the early Church didn't want us to know.
They don’t give us an entirely different Jesus, but they do provide a deeper, fuller, more diverse story—one where women aren't afterthoughts, but trusted teachers. One where God isn't only a Father on a throne, but also a Mother who brings wisdom into the world. One where the soul matters more than sin and where awakening to the Divine within us is the point.
According to Gnostic texts and history itself, Mary Magdalene was never a prostitute in need of redemption. Rather, she was a disciple so close to Jesus that he trusted her with teachings too profound for some of the male apostles to accept. In the Gospel of Mary, when she shares what Jesus told her in a vision, Peter questions why a woman should be believed. But another disciple defends her, saying if the Savior trusted her, who are we to reject her?
And here’s where things really get interesting. Because if Jesus didn’t push women to the margins, then centuries of Church doctrine built on the exclusion of women start to unravel. The patriarchy becomes a creation of men in power, not something ordained by God.
Let me be clear: I am no expert on the Gnostic texts. I’ve just begun reading them and exploring what scholars like Elaine Pagels and writers like Meggan Watterson say about them and what they mean. But I’ve already fallen in love with the richness and complexity of early Christian thought and found my soul singing in agreement with so much of what I am reading. These texts have brought new life to an old story I’ve wrestled with for years. They don’t feel like heresy—they feel like what the Church was always missing. They feel like a more welcoming home for my soul.
The early Church erased so much of the diversity of early Christianity along with Mary Magdalene’s voice. In doing so, it buried a vision of Christianity where women could be apostles. Where the faith began not in sin, but in soul. Where we aren't born fallen but connected. Where the Divine isn't distant and angry, but already alive within us.
And it’s not just Mary Magdalene who brings women into the story. In many Gnostic texts, God is described with both masculine and feminine language. The Divine is not just Father, but also Mother. In one text, the Holy Spirit is called the Mother of the disciples. If this image of God had prevailed—one that holds both masculine and feminine in equal measure—how differently might women have been treated for the past two thousand years? The idea that we were created in the image of God makes so much more sense if God is both masculine and feminine.
Think about Eve. I was taught she was the downfall of humanity. She was the temptress, the reason for pain and sin. But in some Gnostic writings, Eve is not the problem, she's the revealer. She is the one who wakes Adam up and carries divine wisdom. What if the creation story was never meant to be about blame, but about awakening? Or what if it was always about the birth of the ego and the illusion of separation we walk around with?
And what about sin? In the Gospel of Mary, Jesus says, “There is no such thing as sin.” I don’t think he is suggesting anything goes. I think he means sin isn’t our essence. Sin is just forgetting who we are and acting in ignorance. It’s a veiling of the soul, not humanity’s fundamental corruption because we took a bite of knowledge. And that changes how we see ourselves and each other. Instead of shame, we begin with worthiness. Instead of judgment, we begin with love.
This isn’t theological trivia. These stories shape how we live, vote, raise our children, and imagine our worth. They shape us in ways we don’t even understand whether we believe them or not. If the story of creation that has been told to generation after generation begins with Eve being cursed, then it makes sense to keep women in check. If Mary Magdalene is remembered as a repentant whore, it makes sense to distrust women’s voices. If God is only seen as male, it makes sense that men still hold most of the power in churches, governments, and homes.
But what if the story starts differently? With a God who is both Mother and Father, with a woman entrusted by Jesus with divine truth, and with Eve as the one who awakens us just as God always planned. Maybe then we begin to see the world differently. Maybe we stop treating half the world as less than and see the Divine in everyone.
We don’t have to agree with everything the Gnostic texts say. I have already read some things that I fundamentally disagree with. But it is important to understand why these texts were buried. According to scholars far more knowledgeable than me, these texts were hidden or destroyed because they threatened the order of things. These writings invited each of us to look inward rather than up a hierarchy—and that threatened the power of the Church. Many of the Gnostic texts created a vision of Christianity where women could lead, where salvation came through spiritual knowing, and where the divine spark lived in everyone.
I am not advocating for the Gnostic texts to replace the New Testament. But read together, the canonical and Gnostic texts give us a fuller, more vibrant view of Christianity. These buried writings serve to deepen the Christian faith, not weaken it. They restore necessary voices that were silenced. A Christianity that includes the Gnostic texts offers a more soul-centered faith.
The New Testament inspires action and community. The Gnostic texts stir the soul and center the inner journey. One faces outward, the other inward. Both matter. Together, they paint a picture of a Jesus who wasn’t just a man of his time, bound by culture and humanity, but a being of the Spirit who saw life with Divine eyes.
I have so much more to read and learn. But these texts have widened my lens. They’ve helped me see Jesus and his teachings with more nuance, more mystery, and more love. They speak to a Christianity that feels so much more balanced and whole. One that values each and every voice as sacred and Divine. One that calls me to look within for the Light.
If we return to the buried stories, we remember that we are not separate. We are not unworthy. We are not alone. And God is not out there, but in each and every one of us.
The Light we’re seeking was never lost. It was only hidden, obscured from view—just like these texts—waiting for us to look within.
If you are interested in reading more about the Gnostic Gospels, stay tuned. I’m sure I will be writing more as I keep reading and learning. And if you have any thoughts or insights, I would love to read them.
Yes! Elaine Pagels helped me see how much more diverse (and feminine) the early church was. Thanks for sharing this m
I believe your intense searching, exploring and reading is admirable. I am sure one day it will ultimately lend the fruit you are seeking if you continue on your path. If I may, and if you do not mind I would like to address a few of your points however for your own further examination and research.
Tragically it is often sold the Orthodox Church “buried” the gnostic gospels. Which is to say, ultimately as it seems you’re suggesting, the Orthodox Church rejected the very truth they claimed to uphold and buried the actual truth they were seeking. In 1 Timothy 3:15, Paul stated clearly, “the Church is the pillar and ground of the truth.” This was already believed by 40-50 AD, because Jesus made it clear just a few decades earlier that he would “Build His Church.”
Please understand that the New Testament we have today was not fully codified until around 367 AD, i.e. the Church had to make a decision about the letters that were circulating and some of the claims being made. The books that found their way into the New Testament canon had either their origin in one of Christ’s apostles, or one who either saw Christ (i.e. Paul) or had their origin in a work along side one of the apostles such as the physician Luke (Gospel of Luke, book of Acts.)
Many of the gnostic writings were determined to be well after the apostolic age, made some fanciful claim about Christ. Ultimately, one can find very rich and deep historical documentation of the debates between church bishops and theologians with gnostic writers. This is to say they were not buried. Their works were read, they were discussed, and even some of their ideas found debates and discussions in Church wide ecumenical councils. You can find in many places in the New Testament where Paul was already saying he was giving what was handed on to him (Corinthians for example.) The Orthodox Church has always gone with what was handed on. They will never shy away from debating and discussing that which is questionable, but ultimately again as Paul said in Thessalonians “hold to the traditions.” The Orthodox Church does not hold to late traditions, made up ones or those held to for power’s sake, but traditions that reflect what was given at Pentecost and by Christ’s apostles.
Along with the theological debate, please also consider the Christian persecution that happened in the first centuries of the Church. These Christians chose persecution rather than deny what they were handed on. One can study persecution up through the Bolshevik revolution to even our day to find a common thread in orthodox martyrdom by holding to what was always handed on.
Your article takes a bold step. I encourage you not to give up your pursuit but also not to ignore the rich theological history within Orthodoxy that debated these very issues.