The Gospel of Mary Magdalene|Salvation through Self-Knowledge – Gnosticism

The Coptic-Gnostic (?) Gospel of Mary provide us a glimpse into a radically alternative form of ancient Christianity. One where inner, spiritual knowledge is the key to salvation, where women and men have equal standing based on their understanding of the message of the Savior and one where the soul must rise above the demonic gatekeepers of the physical cosmos rather than to believe in credal formulas or even the salvific power of the death and resurrection of Jesus. In this Gospel, Mary Magdalene is the true inheritor of the spiritual Gospel of Christ rather than Peter who attacks her solely based on her gender, despite her profound relationship with the Savior and her understanding of his secret teachings.