What would Jesus do? This wry, irreverent, fictionalized account of his life and ministry—told from the perspective of disciple Mary Magdalene—will implode everything you thought you knew.
Jesus Christ—Yeshua, to his friends—is not happy. Two thousand years after his death, he sees Earth heading toward oblivion. Ever eager to save humanity, he asks Mary Magdalene (Magda) for help. It’s time to tell the real story of our time together, he says. Time to correct all the misinformation, misogyny, and lies spread by Peter, Paul, and the Roman Catholic Church. Still pissed that she’s been called a whore for almost two millennia, Magda resists—but ultimately, out of love for Yeshua, reluctantly agrees.
Through Magda’s words, Yeshua—to most today a symbolic, practically mythological Biblical figure—comes back to life as a man of flesh and blood, one wholly devoted to spreading his message of radical equality. Magda tells of her travels with Yeshua and his followers around Galilee, where they are menaced at every turn by Roman rulers. She relates tales of miracles and murder, jealousy and acceptance, misogyny and female empowerment. She describes her relationship with Yeshua, clarifying centuries of speculation about whether or not they were in love. And, painfully, she reveals the truth about who orchestrated his death.
But Magda’s narrative does not end there. Her life with Yeshua has taught her that she has more strength than she ever imagined, and she begins to tap into a spiritual power that is uniquely her own—the power to connect people. Magda’s true role in the history of humanity, it turns out, is just beginning to unfold.
Interview with Ursula Werner
- Why is Mary Magdalene important today?
If Jesus Christ is important today, then so is Mary Magdalene.
Now, not everyone will agree with the ongoing importance of Jesus, especially non-Christians. But the messages Jesus tried to bring to humankind – love each other as yourselves, tolerate your differences, forgive each other your wrongs – are messages that withstand the test of time.
Mary Magdalene was Jesus’ right-hand woman. More than anyone else – even other apostles – she understood what Jesus was trying to say. She was the apostle Jesus told others to turn to for guidance after his death. In fact, in 2022, after 2000 years of falsely labeling Mary Magdalene a whore, the Catholic Church finally acknowledged her importance, hailing her as the “apostle to the apostles.”
Outside of Christianity, Mary Magdalene is equally compelling, for her story is a quintessential one of truth being silenced or twisted by power. Mary is a classic #MeToo survivor, suffering slander and name-smearing for almost two millennia by a Catholic Church that wanted to keep control of the narrative and prioritize its male characters,
- How has Jesus’ message gotten hijacked through the ages and how does your re-telling share the truth?
Jesus’ message to humanity in the first century was a simple one with profound implications: Everyone is equal. Everything Jesus said and did underscored his belief that all people are inherently the same, regardless of race, nationality, or economic position.
Of course, that kind of message challenges a social status quo based on money and power (both of which Jesus vehemently rejected). Once the Catholic Church became established and got a taste of authority, it began to lose sight of Jesus’ principles. Not only did it sanction massacres against “heretics” and “infidels” (the Crusades and the Inquisition are two of the most notable examples), it focused on the accumulation of more wealth and power. Even today, the Catholic Church and other Christian denominations emphasize monetary contributions and displays of pomp and ceremony. I truly think that if Jesus were alive today to observe any of the events allegedly conducted in his name, he would weep.
In fact, a fundamental premise of all Christianity today – that humans can only be “saved” if they adopt Christ as their savior – would flat-out be rejected by Magda and Jesus. Jesus never demanded that people believe in him, nor did he think of himself as divine. (This last assertion might be disputed by New Testament theologians, but I believe it is consistent with the historical Jesus presented by most historians.)
- Tell us more about your writing of “uncovering truth, justice, and history through story-telling.” How is this mindset especially important as an author writing in today’s political and social climate?
I love to tell stories, and I love language. I didn’t know that my concern for social justice would end up informing my novels as much as it does. I thought, when I began my narrative about Magda, that hers would be a story of intense love and devotion, and it is that. But it is also a story of re-making society – how does one begin doing that, and is it even possible?
The superpower that Magda has (spoiler alert here!) – uniting people together, merging their spirits – is her first step in reforming society. If you experience someone else as you experience yourself, how can you turn around and hurt them? As an author, my only superpower (if I’m being effective) is to expand the reader’s world, to introduce them to an experience they would otherwise not have had. And maybe even, to give them a more compassionate view of the world. We could certainly use more compassion in the current political and social climate.
- Can you describe your process of retelling Magdalene’s life in a way that both honors her experiences and resonates with modern readers?
The Mary Magdalene I heard in my head when I first thought of writing about her, was a modern woman who spoke in a snarky and sarcastic manner. With that voice in mind, I decided to create a character who spoke from the present day, and who had been observing, off and on, the evolution of human civilization ever since her death in the first century. This more contemporary voice would, I thought, resonate with modern readers, through the language she uses and the observations she makes about current society.
At the same time, I wanted to honor the sanctity of Mary Magdalene’s lived experience with Jesus. The voice that goes back in time to tell the story of her life with him is more subdued and, in the narration of their relationship, more reverential.
I’ve had a handful of readers tell me that they don’t like the two different voices; they would prefer Magda be consistent in her tone. That, however, is how Magda came to me, and I have to remain loyal to her.
- Why do you think it is important to write feminist-driven stories that give marginalized voices silenced by history a platform?
If you believe there is value in understanding history – either so we can avoid repeating our own mistakes or so we can understand why we are who we are – then uncovering an authentic history is critical. To my mind, for a history to be “authentic,” it must be a compilation of all the stories of the people who lived through it. Marginalized voices are essential to this endeavor (perhaps even more essential than non-marginalized ones), because, by definition, they’ve been sidelined. They have yet to be heard.
Because women are so often silenced by society, feminist-driven stories are vital to the creation of an accurate historical picture.
- What do you hope readers will take away from this story?
Ideally, I would love readers to take away two ideas. First, what I think of as Jesus’ primary message – that we are all basically the same and that we should look past superficial differences and try to connect with each other. (One reviewer of Magda Revealed chastised me for reducing the complexities of “Christian theological categories” into this “exasperatingly simple” message. That person, I respectively submit, completely missed the point.)
Second, I would like readers to rise to the challenge offered at the end of the novel. It doesn’t give too much away for me to reveal that, by the end of the novel, Magda decides to return to Earth. Her hope is that there might still be time to change things. That is my hope too, but it is only possible if we all work towards it.
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Magda-Revealed-Ursula-Werner/dp/1647428645
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magda-Revealed-Ursula-Werner-ebook/dp/B0D92N4G2B/
Meet Ursula Werner
Ursula Werner has been writing for over twenty-five years. She has published one novel, The Good at Heart (2017), and two chapbooks of poetry, The Silence of the Woodruff (2006) and Rapunzel Revisited (2010). She holds graduate degrees in English literature and law and works part-time as an attorney. She and her husband live in Washington, DC. Find out more about them at her website.
Connect with Ursula
Facebook: @UrsulaWerner
Instagram: @UrsulaWerner_Author
