Books The Gospel of Mary (Oxford Early Christian Gospel Texts) 1st Edition by Christopher Tuckett

"The Gospel of Mary" (Oxford Early Christian Gospel Texts) by Christopher Tuckett is a scholarly edition that presents all extant manuscript sources of this non-canonical gospel in their original languages, along with English translation and commentary. This text focuses on Mary Magdalene's prominent role as a witness to post-resurrection teachings of Jesus, exploring early Christian diversity and debates about authority and gender.​

Main Features

Tuckett provides comprehensive analysis of Greek and Coptic manuscript evidence, with insights into language origins, historical context, and manuscript variants.​

The book includes the complete Gospel of Mary as found in multiple fragmentary sources, giving readers access to both original texts and scholarly interpretation.​

It explores theological themes of salvation, the ascent of the soul, conflict with material oppression, and spiritual liberation.​

Academic Value

The edition is well regarded for its rigorous manuscript comparison, showing the gospel circulated in several forms during the early Christian era.​

Tuckett situates the Gospel of Mary among other “dialogue gospels” and Gnostic writings, noting Stoic and philosophical influences and parallels with other apocryphal literature.​

The commentary provides readers with critical context—explaining manuscript dating (second–third century CE), original Greek composition, and later Coptic translation