The Gospel of Mary
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how the books of the Bible were chosen and how the Gospel of Mary relates to this.
Key learning points
- When, where and why texts are canonised can help us better understand the type of authority that the text has.
- The Gospel of Mary is believed to be from the second century C.E. and is non-canonical.
- Mary Magdalene has a significant role as a leader of the other disciples in this writing.
- The Gospel of Mary shows us that the early Christians were debating the role of women in the Church.
Keywords
Apocryphal - writings that are not officially accepted as part of the Bible, and so are non-canonical.
Apostle - early Christian leaders responsible for spreading the message of Jesus
Canonical - books or texts which are officially accepted as part of the Bible
Gospel - meaning ‘good news'; referring to the teachings and revelation of Jesus Christ
Mary Magdalene - a follower of Jesus, known for her role as a key figure in the early Christian community
Common misconception
The Gospel of Mary is thought to be about Mary, the mother of Jesus.
The Gospel of Mary is thought to be related to Mary Magdalene. There are other apocraphal writings in relation to Mary, the mother of Jesus, however, such as the Infancy Gospel of James and the Infancy Gospel of Thomas.
Teacher tip
Teachers could show different gospels to students, both canonical and apocraphal, without stating if they are in the Bible or not. Information such as the author, content & earliest manuscripts could be shared. Students could then hold their own 'council debates' to decide which should be selected.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Th early __________ leaders responsible for spreading the message of Jesus are known as the apostles.
Q2.The biblical event where the __________ came to Jesus' followers, marking the Church's birth, is called the Pentecost.
Q3.Paul once ordered the death of a man called because he was a follower of Jesus.
Q4.__________ had a conversion experience on the road to Damascus.
Q5.In the Book of Acts in the Bible, Junia was referred to as ...
Q6.Paul commended Phoebe, a of the Church, but also wrote that women should remain silent in churches.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What does the term 'canonical' refer to in the context of the Bible?
Q2.Where was the Gospel of Mary discovered in modern times?
Q3.Who challenged Mary Magdalene’s role as a follower of Jesus in the Gospel of Mary?
Q4. was the first person to discover the empty tomb of Jesus.
Q5.The Gospel of Mary was originally written in .
Q6. defended Mary Magdalene when Peter questioned her about her authority over the other disciples.
To help you plan your 9 religious education lesson on: The Gospel of Mary, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 9 religious education lesson on: The Gospel of Mary, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 religious education lessons from the Matriarchs: are the women of the Bible victors or victims? unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.