Ann Graham Brock
Peter, Paul, and Mary (Magdalene), the Early Years: Three Apostles, Three Spiritualities

August 22 - 28 

Having Ann Graham Brock come to the Ranch to talk about these three key figures will be a wonderful opportunity to ponder what is fact and what is fiction about each one and about their relationships. Sure, The Da Vinci Code is fiction, but it certainly raised all kinds of issues, especially about Mary Magdalene or Mary of Magdala. Some of the fierce controversy has died down, but many questions still pop up about this most intriguing woman. And then, there is Peter.

I always liked Peter. He seemed a klutz much like myself, beating his chest about never betraying Jesus one minute and doing just that the next, walking out on the water towards Jesus and then starting to drown in doubt. He’s a biblical figure I can identify with.

And, depending on which biblical passage one selects as more definitive, Peter was either anointed as sole head of the church (“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven” – Matthew 16:19)  or just one of the disciples to whom Jesus gave authority (“I tell you [disciples], whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven. . . If two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father.” – Matthew 18:18-19).

And of course Paul must not be forgotten. I still have many questions about Paul’s views on all kinds of things.

In short, I have many questions about Peter, Mary, and Paul and am eager to learn from Ann.

Bring your questions too. – Carl Koch, Director

More about Ann Brock

Ann has lectured on a variety of topics at numerous conferences and churches throughout the world, to include "Mary Magdalene of the Da Vinci Code versus Mary Magdalene of Scripture" at the Call To Action National Conference; "Just Who is Mary Magdalene?" for Mary Magdalene's Saint Day celebrations in Brigid's Place in Houston and Future Church in Cleveland; "Peter. Paul, and Mary, The Early Years" as Keynote speaker at the Southeast ELCA Synodical Conference; "Digging through the New Testament: Archaeological and Geographical Insights into the Gospels and Epistles" at Iliff Week of Lectures, "Mary Magdalene: Venerated Sinner or Denigrated Saint?" at Biblical Symposium of Mary Magdalene in Contemporary Research at Florida Southern College, and regularly presents at the Society of Biblical Literature National and International Conferences and other international professional conferences.

Ann was  the Keynote Speaker at the Feast of Mary Magdalene celebration, July 22, 2007, at Wisdom Ways Center for Spirituality in St. Paul, Minnesota. She is also available for book signings, such as the one pictured above at Borders in Hawaii. She currently lives with her family in Centennial, Colorado.

About  Mary Magdalene, The First Apostle --

Why did some early Christians consider Mary Magdalene to be an apostle while others did not? Some Chistian texts, underlining her role as one of the very first witnesses to the resurrection, portray Mary Magdalene as the "apostle to the apostles," while other sources exclude or replace her in their resurrection accounts.

This book examines how the conferral, or withholding, of apostolic status operated as a tool of persuasion in the politics of early Christian literature. Drawing on both canonical and noncanonical literature in her comprehensive study, the author reveals some intriguing correlations between the prominence of Peter in a text and a corresponding diminishment of women's leadership and apostolicity.

This historical study of early Christian tensions has serious implications for current denominational discourse because authority, apostolic status, and the ordination of women continue to be highly disputed topics within many Christian circles today.