I find it fascinating that the Gospel of Mary has been lost to time in the way that no full copies are known. It’s compelling to me that we might never know what the full text says. It reminds me of a theme in my Art History class of how art, even broken, fragmented works, from ancient civilizations are often the only relics we have of people from a time long ago. It’s almost frightening how the memory of people can be so lost to time that small household objects are the only evidence they ever existed at all. This book is similar in the way that it provides us with a glimpse into how Christianity once was long ago, closer to the time from which it originated. I also think it is interesting that this book specifically frames Mary as a prostitute when the more commonly known legend describes her more as a lover of Jesus. I understand why this book is relevant to our class due to its sexual implications and erroneous themes, because this is one of the causes that we discussed in class the other day of a book becoming banned. It also relates to our class in the way that it discusses religion in a controversial manner, which is another reason why some books have become banned. However, I do find it interesting that a woman was described to have understood the Savior’s teachings more than the male disciples. At this time, women were not seen as equal to men, so I find it almost refreshing that this book does not portray sexism towards Mary or at least does not degrade her for being a woman. If anything, she is shown as helpful, caring, and motherly which are all positive traits and not seen as inherently inferior.