Adam, Betty Conrad

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Adam, Betty Conrad

PERSONAL:

Born in Houston, TX; married William Kendall Adam; children: Michael, Mark. Education: University of Texas, Austin, B.A.; University of California at Berkeley, M.A.; Rice University, M.A., Ph.D.; Houston Graduate School of Theology, Masters of Divinity. Religion: Episcopalian.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Houston, TX. Office—Christ Church Cathedral, 1117 Texas Ave., Houston, TX 77002. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Writer, theologian. University of St. Thomas, former assistant professor in philosophy; M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, former lay chaplain; ordained Episcopalian priest, 1991; Christ Church Cathedral, Houston, TX, Resident Canon Theologian and Spiritual Director of Brigid's Place, 1992—. Magdalene Community of Houston, Houston, TX, founder; Brigid's Place, Houston, TX, founder.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Merrill Fellowship, Harvard Divinity School, 1995.

WRITINGS:

The Magdalene Mystique: Living the Spirituality of Mary Today, Morehouse Publishing (Harrisburg, PA), 2006.

Author of Web log, the Magdalene Mystique.

SIDELIGHTS:

Betty Conrad Adam is an Episcopal priest who frequently lectures on the Gospel of Mary, writings discovered in Cairo in 1896 and that are viewed by most religious scholars as being the teachings of Mary Magdalene. Adam is also part of a movement pushing for equality of women in Christian churches and fellowship between all believers. She has founded various organizations, such as the Magdalene Community and Brigid's Place, in Houston, Texas, to work toward such goals. She uses her background in Magdalene scholarship for her 2006 book, The Magdalene Mystique: Living the Spirituality of Mary Today, which retells the story of Mary Magdalene for modern times, using her message in an attempt to inspire a new way of thinking and feeling about ourselves and others.

With the publication of Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, the subject of Mary Magdalene and her place in Christianity became a popular topic. However, according to Houston Chronicle writer Barbara Karkabi, "what makes Adam's book different from others is its conversational tone, roundup of past research and legends, and a focus on adapting Mary Magdalene's spirituality for today's world." Adam believes that Mary's message is, as she points out in her book, one of peace and of making connections between humans of different faiths and genders. For Adam, Mary Magdalene was herself a symbol of tolerance; in her life and actions she attempted to bridge the divide between Judaism and Christianity. Reviewing The Magdalene Mystique in Kliatt, Claire Rosser found it a "brief book, one that is easy to understand for anyone with an interest in portrayals of women in religion, especially in the Christian traditions."