By Jennifer Powell McNutt and Ann Boyd

Jennifer Powell McNutt: The Mary We Forgot

“Doing your PhD is ... there's a lot of pressure for sure, but you never get that kind of space and time [again] to focus on a single project. As soon as you leave ... there are so many other demands in your time. The privilege of getting to sit with a topic for years and have so many people invest in the work that you're doing and speak into it and help you to improve it — it's so wonderful. I would do PhDs for the rest of my life.“ — Jennifer Powell McNutt

Professor and author Dr. Jennifer Powell McNutt joins us on the podcast to discuss the place of Mary Magdalene in the biblical story and what she can teach us about walking with Jesus. 

Who was Mary Magdalene and what does her story offer to Christians in the 21st century? Dr. Jennifer Powell McNutt joins us on the podcast to discuss her recent book The Mary We Forgot: What the Apostle to the Apostles Teaches the Church Today, which recently received the honor of being a 2025 ECPA Christian Book Award Finalist. Jennifer helps us to understand the unique place Mary Magdalene has in the story of Jesus as a woman, a believer, and a model for Christians across the ages. We talk about the ways Mary’s life impacted the church across the world, and we learn about some crucial misunderstandings that have maligned Mary’s name over the years. Jennifer also offers encouraging thoughts about her experience as a woman in the academy, and if you listen to the end of the credit, you’ll hear an excerpt from our conversation where Jennifer shares her story of advocating for maternity leave on campus.

So jump right in! We're so glad you're here.

 

You can listen on iTunes or at The Women Scholars and Professionals Podcast. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did.

Further resources for this interview:

 

Photo by Furkan Elveren on Unsplash

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About the Author

Jennifer Powell McNutt (PhD, The University of St. Andrews) is the Franklin S. Dyrness Chair of Biblical and Theological Studies and professor of theology and history of Christianity at Wheaton College. She is an award-winning author, a fellow in the Royal Historical Society, and an ordained teaching elder in the Presbyterian tradition. McNutt serves as a parish associate at her church and regularly speaks at universities, seminaries, and churches across the country. She and her husband cofounded McNuttshell Ministries, which serves as a bridge between the academy and the church, and live with their three children in Winfield, Illinois.

Ann is the Women Scholars and Professionals Podcast host and the interim editor for The Well. She has worked for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship since 1997, exploring her interests in community, spiritual formation, and writing. Ann has a BM in Music Education from Northwestern University and lives in Chicago, Illinois with one husband, two spunky teenage daughters, and three snuggly cats. You’ll often find Ann baking sweet treats in the kitchen while listening to a podcast or audiobook.

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