Today we have an early Reformer of the Church versus one of Jesus’ first disciples. It is precisely such odd juxtapositions that make Lent Madness so much fun. Will John Huss be re-martyred in the next 24 hours? Or will Mary Magdalene have her name further besmirched? Only time, and your one vote, will tell.
In recent action, Thomas Cranmer soundly defeated Ephrem of Edessa (58% to 42% with 1,825 votes cast) although the vote was a lot closer than the Vegas bookies anticipated. If you didn’t catch the latest Monday Madness video featuring Tim and Scott, go watch it right away.
John Huss (1371? – 1415) or Jan Hus, was a Bohemian (born in what is now the Czech Republic) priest, theologian, and professor. Against the backdrop of the papal crisis in the Church known as the Babylonian Captivity during which there were two popes, one in Rome and one in Avignon (France), Hus wrote many treatises urging reform of the Church in the face of papal and clergy abuses and corruption a century before Martin Luther posted his famous 95 Theses in Wittenburg. In addition to his objection to the sale of indulgences and the practice of simony (the buying/selling of spiritual things, from sacraments to relics to Holy Orders), Hus was, following John Wycliff, a champion of of broad participation of the laity in the life of the church. He believed that people should be able to own and read their own Bibles in their own tongue and that worship should be conducted in the local language. He denounced the practice of withholding the chalice from everyone except the priests at Holy Communion and argued from his pulpit in Prague (the Bethlehem Chapel) that Christ, not the Pope (neither the French nor the Italian one) was the true head of the Church. For this he was excommunicated for insubordination by his archbishop in 1412.
The excommunication did not put a stop to Hus’ preaching, however, and he continued to minister in Bethlehem Chapel until he went into voluntary exile after his whole town was put under interdict because of him. Hus was summoned to the Council of Constance in Switzerland to defend himself, but his appeals to Scripture in matters of church governance did not win the day, and he was condemned as a heretic along with Wycliff (who was by then 44 years dead and buried) on July 6, 1415.
Hus was chained to a stake and wood and straw were piled up to his neck and set ablaze, and afterwards his ashes were thrown into the Rhine. The new Pope proclaimed a Crusade against his followers, the Hussites, and five Crusades later, a settlement was reached which, among other things, restored communion in both kinds to the laity in Bohemia and Moravia. Today’s Moravian Church traces its roots to Hus and his persecuted followers.
Collect for John Huss: Almighty God, who gave to your servant Jan Hus boldness to confess the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ before the rulers of this world, and courage to die for this faith: Grant that we may always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us, and to suffer gladly for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
— Penny Nash
Mary of Magdala (1st century), one of the faithful women who traveled with Jesus throughout his ministry, is arguably his most devoted disciple. But whatever we know about her is filtered through the lens of Gospel stories and myth-making. Author James Carroll notes how she has “served as a scrim onto which a succession of fantasies have been projected.”
Mary Magdalene is often confused with “the sinner” mentioned in Luke’s Gospel, Mary of Bethany (sister of Lazarus), and unnamed others including the woman possessed by demons. That she was the first witness to the Resurrection of Jesus as Christ is one of the few points of agreement among theologians and Biblical scholars. Despite ongoing disputes about who and what she was, her feast day is celebrated by the Greek and Russian Orthodox Churches, the Church of England, the Episcopal Church USA, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America as well as the Roman Catholic Church.
Collect for Mary Magdalene: Almighty God, whose blessed Son restored Mary Magdalene to health of body and of mind, and called her to be a witness of his resurrection: Mercifully grant we may be healed from all our infirmities and know you in the power of his unending life; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and resigns, one God, now and forever. Amen.
— Meredith Gould
Vote!
John Huss vs. Mary Magdalene
- Mary Magdalene (66%, 1,154 Votes)
- John Huss (34%, 597 Votes)
Total Voters: 1,749
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Poor John Huss, against so many other people you’d have had my vote. Did you have to be matched with Mary Mags?
In the Eastern Orthodox tradition, she is hailed as a traveling evangelist equal to Paul. I’m going with that. John Hus rocks, but Mary’s a strong, bold, faithful woman who just tangled with the wrong Western Church spin doctors. I have her back, and she has my vote.
Huss spoke truth to power, but Mary was the first witness…tough one. Had to go with Huss, though.
Go, Mary, Go! Besmirch her name no more! ;o)
Of all the things that could be said about Mary Magdalene and we get a “a scrim upon which fantasies are projected”? Really? I hope you are saving the good stuff for her match up against Jerome. I want to see him go to down in flames against her.
I refer everyone interested in Mary Magdalene to this thought provoking, insightful book by Cynthia Bourgealt, an Episcopal priest, “The Meaning of Mary Magdalene: Discovering the Woman at the Heart of Christianity”.
Excellent book, Laura.
Laura, even though I voted for Huss I agree with you about the lack on info on Mary M – I would have like to hear more, she still came off as kind of a shadowy 1 dimensional figure to me in this…
Shoot me: I was following the word count instructions.
Did they give a word count for the comments section? GO MEREDITH!
Thanks so much, Laura! I like Cynthia Bourgealt’s work and will look for this book.
-Ann
Amen sister
Poor John, burned at the stake to gain immortality. Then again, Mary’s rep has been burned for almost two thousand years. Gotta go with Mary.
Wicked tough! JH was an awesome witness to the love & power of Christ, but I’m going with The Witness to Christ. Go Mary!
Very well said, Kelly!
I suspect that the next round with Mary Magdalene will be worth the price of admission to Lent Madness. Let’s take her to the top!!!
Go Mary, GO!
All the way with Mary Mag!
Jon Huss gets the nod due to his martyrdom and overall awesomeness. This guy was the Clint Eastwood of the 1400s. Tough, gritty, willing to stand up to anyone. I kind of imagine a Gran Torino moment, and “Get off my lawn!” remarks in the pulpit when he uttered those now famous “insubordinate” statements to the church hierarchy. Hussites unite!
I just love it when the term “insubordinate” is used for a priest. Rock on John H!
oh yeah! i like that too. voting for Hus even though it’s hard to go against a Mary. but he had so much faith in a Jesus he had never seen, and tough as it was for Mary, she experienced Jesus in person.
Yes, I’m voting for the easy favorite. However, I am going to steer one of my gifted students to the site to look at the information about John Huss. His National History Day project is about Martin Luther, and this would be some interesting background support.
Poor Jan. I like my pre-Reformation martyrs and I study part-time in Prague, so I vote for him, even if it looks like MM will win it in a landslide.
Come on people, just because you are a women in the Bible does not mean you should move on! Look at the impact of Huss, his community single handily raised the Liberal theological movement!
I began this reading fully expecting to vote for Mary, but after reading about John Huss it is a tough one. I see Mary is way ahead in the vote so I’m going for John and expect to cast a vote for Mary down the road. Full participating of laity in the church, what a concept in the 1400’s.
I had the same thought…expected to vote for Mary but Jon Huss’ bio was impressive. I never knew that about him — threw my vote to him for his courage and integrity knowing full well that Mary might well take the day.
From a great website called The Jesus Police.. Some scholars (e.g., Spong, 1992; Starbird, 2005) have speculated that Mary was such an important disciple of Jesus that she was referred to as “The Tower”, using the same kind of affectionate but pertinent nicknames that Jesus was famous for (e.g., Simon “The Rock”, John and James “the Sons of Thunder”, etc.) Baigent (2006) even says that her nickname was actually “Mary the Great”, reasoning that calling her “The Tower” was the same as saying she was “Great”.
That’s really interesting, thanks!
Apparently St. Mary Magdalene “lives and resigns” with the Trinity, making for an interesting theological turn in heaven. Must be all that scrim.
Spell-check much?
@Mark — LOL!!! I doubt spell check would have caught that one but it does make for a novel theological perspective. Freud never sleeps!
Mark, I figured the word “resigns” resulted from jump-y fingers (or bad keyboard; go to your room.). Perhaps the word was meant to be reigns, but MM wasn’t God, so maybe not reigns. Perhaps the word was meant to be resides, but don’t we all hope to reside with the Trinity? Confused, I await clarification. Meanwhile, back at the saint face-off…
We wouldn’t have known about the resurrection without Mary Magdalene! She was a true visionary and disciple and her faith never waivered. The book by Cynthia Bourgeault is wonderful.
I agree John Huss was an incredible and brave man, but tough luck for him that he was up against Mary of Magdala. We may not have had a church without her!
C’mon now… If it weren’t for Mary we wouldn’t have known about the resurrection?! I doubt Jesus would have said “Whoops” and moved on! Something tells me someone else would have had that role. It was good that she was there to anoint the body… but does this circumstance really mean that she was responsible for the church being here? Methinks not! GO JON HUSS! HUSSSSSSS!!!! ALL THE WAY!!!!!
I, too, after long and careful consideration, have to go for John Huss, fully anticipating voting for Mary Magdalen later on. Although she was arguably the first Apostle (one who saw the risen Christ and was told to go and spread the good news) the mysogeny of the early Church put Mary out of the running. She became conflated with whores (thus giving lots of Medieval and Rennaisance artists excuses to paint bare naked ladies) and madwomen. I am ordering the book through Interlibrary Loan.
John Huss, on the other hand, was a real “Power to the People” kind of guy. I am sure that he would be occupying Wall Street right now, if he were around. (Maybe he is!)
When are we going to see the desgn for the tatoo?
I voted for Huss, having a sentimental connection with the site of his martyrdom, Konstanz (I lived there for a year) but also fully anticipate voting for Magdalene against Jerome.
I’m confused by Barbara’s statement, though – wouldn’t one WANT to reclaim Mary’s reputation from the misogyny of the early church?! That’s not a reason to vote AGAINST her!
My heart aches for John, but I have always dearly loved Mary Magdalene and will vote for her
Wow, tough crowd.
I must say I am a MM fan all the way. But after reading about John Huss and then reading all the comments, I am voting for JH – and will then probably get a chance to vote for MM later on. It’s a tough match up.
Well after reading about Huss I had to go with him. Mary M was awesome, but she got to see Jesus in the flesh, first hand witness! Huss was looking back over time and church tradition and still had the cojones to stand up to those no-goodniks and take the torch. I can’t even imagine…in the end is it saint because of being chosen by God or saint because of choosing God? the world may never truly know…
that’s why i voted for Hus.
Agreed.
Wow! Tough one is right. By profession and temperament, I am drawn to those who speak truth to power as Hus did, but . . . well, . . . . Mary is such a complex character, and, given the status (or lack thereof) of women in the first century, “He is Risen!,” spoken to a pretty rough bunch of guys fits that mold! So, Mary it is.
No contest – Go Mary!
Is it me, or have I seen the “Misogyny Card” played for the 5th time… In the first round!?! Come on guys (gals), it’s getting old… Give me a theological/historical basis for Mary.
Ah, we see what we see. I’m seeing people voting against Mary Magdalene on the assumption that she’ll win.
Starting to remind me of the Michigan primary…
Having acted as locum Anglican chaplain in Prague two years running and therefore havinghad lots of opportunity to learn about John Hus, I simply had to vote for him, even though I revere Mary Magdalene. I’m guessing I’ll get plenty of chance to vote for her later. 🙂
Love Hus’s story but nothing in this world or the next would stop my voting for Magdalene.
Well, for the “context” oriented people on this site, Mary M. survived Jerome’s translations of the bible and is one of the few women in the entire huge bible with a specific name and a specific role. She has her own gospel, even if it doesn’t count as part of the bible! Mary should be the patron saint for the 21st Century since she has been able to survive 1500 years of slander to emerge as a strong and true disciple of Christ. And, just as she provided testimony to Jesus’ resurrection to the original disciples, she is now providing testimony to Jesus’ acceptance of women in the ministry and as full participants of faith despite the “context” of his times which left women unclean and unworthy most of the time. She remains a witness to the fact that Jesus’ words don’t need a “context” of time and that men and women were meant to share in the teaching and profession of Jesus’ word to the world. Legend at least has it that she was so powerful and regarded that she was the aspostle speaking to the Roman Emperor about Christ and proving his resurrection by turning an egg red. Possibly “a scrim” and “a fantasy,” but a powerful one nevertheless.
(I really wanted to save the debate to crush Jerome, but we can start now.)
Awesome. Thank you for giving the response to the one asking for the theological/historical basis for Mary!
James Carroll used the scrim metaphor to bust folks for projecting all their crap (read: fears, prejudices) onto Mary Magdalene. He did not use it to diminish her.
If having one’s own gospel will sway votes, I can compose one for John Huss real quick.
Got to go with MM; without her, Huss wouldn’t have known what to defend.
A Protestant defender vs an RC standby. What’s a via media Anglican to do?
Mary of Magdala was the first woman apostle and when the other apostles were arguing among themselves about whether or not Jesus really expected them to go out and preach….Mary was the one to say yes. Peter balked at that and began the character assignation of possibly the only one who understood what Jesus was teaching. The other apostles didn’t even get it that Jesus was about to die. They were arguing about who was going to be first among them.
Out of respect for our Moravian brothers and sisters, with whom we now share communion, I too went for John Huss now, fully expecting to vote for Mary at least through the Elate Eight.
Mary Magdalene is my girl! Ever since reading the fictional account of her life by Margaret George, Mary, Called Magdalene, I’ve been fascinated and inspired by her. Beloved by Jesus, supported his ministry financially and personally, with him at the cross and at the grave – enough for me!!
Stop voting against Mary because you think you’ll have the opportunity later — or you won’t!!
Great book – I read that as well!
We learned about Jan Hus when visiting Prague on our honeymoon. If the printing press had only been invented, he would be as popular and influential as Martin Luther. He gets my vote for his diligent work to speak truth to power and challenge the whole structure and authority of the Pope.
Our book study at church is “The Meaning of Mary Magdalene” by Cynthia Bourgeault. Fascinating book, fascinating saint! She has my vote!!
So far I have tried to vote before seeing results or any comments. But this one was really hard. I had never heard of John Huss and was inspired by the bio. I wanted to vote for him for bringing Communion in both kinds to the laity and his advocacy for the laity.
But I had to go with Mary Magdelene. Maybe just because I wish it were me that had seen Jesus face to face here on earth.
But I read all the comments before voting and will add John Huss to my list of heroes for God.
I am sorry for my unclear writing. I meant that although Mary was arguably the first Apostle, the misogyny of the early church put her out of the running for Apostle-ship, not out of the running for the Golden Halo. James beat her out in the Acts of the Apostles.
I’m clearly in the minority here, but I like my saints well-done. Goose, anyone? (From a follower of the swan….)
Thank you, Tikimama. My thoughts exactly. Stop voting against Mary because you think you’ll have the opportunity later — or you won’t!! John Huss is awesome, but Mary is the one for the Golden Halo!
Unfortunately “scrim” was not among the words used to describe MM from the Roman Catholic pulpits and classrooms of my youth. I am delighted to cast my one and only vote for MARY! You GO GIRL!!
When I saw the match-up, I figured this was a no-brainer for MM. Then I read John’s write-up. Gotta go for the martyr!
Tough one, but I went with the one I hope most to meet at the heavenly banquet. Mary, I have some questions for you!
I fully agree that Mary Magdalene has been grossly misinterpreted during the centuries.
But I’ve been to Prague several times. Going to the Bethlehem Chapel was a very moving experience for me. There’s a huge statue of Jan Hus in the middle of the Old Town Square in Prague. During the Communist period Hus was a great inspiration to the Czech people for standing up to oppression.
One additional biographical note. Hus went to Council of Constance to try to work out some kind of reconciliation after having been promised safe passage. The church then double-crossed him. He was arrested, tried, and burned at the stake. I think it’s fair to say that any attempts for reconciliation by the Protestant reformers a century later were hindered by the memory of the double-crossing of Hus the century before.
So Jan Hus it is.
*sigh* It’s a good thing I don’t actually put any money on this type of thing – I’d be toast. Jan Hus has my vote. The man was chutzpah personified.
I remember as a younger person seeing a docudrama on John Huss that was so moving, especially at the end as he burned at the stake, his purported words he sang or chanted, “Jesus, the Son of David, have mercy on me”, have never failed to move me, especially when I have found myself in earthly and spiritual trials, and I find myself singning/chanting this refrain, and knowing comfort from them, and understanding how he was comforted by them as well. Jesus, the Son of David, have mercy on me…
Alas, who dreamed up these complex competitions in this first round? I, too, would have gone with Mary Magdalene because of her first witness and bad rep over the centuries. But… I have relearned of another important reformer through Huss and… for those who are trying to stay truly Anglican, a reminder that we are in communion with the Moravian church. My vote is going to have to go to Huss right now.
Against almost anyone else, I would have voted for John Hus. He was so far ahead of his time. Had the church been more responsive to him, maybe the reformation could have come from within. But against Mary Magdalene? She’s an all time favorite. And I’m enough of a feminist that I have to vote for her.
This one is really tough! I was going to go with JH ’cause he sounds like one mighty right guy but now I’m thinking I should go with the woman vote…but that just seems so easy…oh what to do?!
I, like so many others thought I would vote for Mary Magdalene all the way, but must say Jan Hus definitely has my vote. The ability to partake in the full Eucharist is so powerful and I can’t imagine church without it. Way to go Jan for being so full of the spirit, following your heart, and knowing how much it would mean to us all!
I voted for Mary, but it was not very much information about her. I am going on what else I know. PLEASE do not leave us with such scanty information in the future for these votes. By the way, this was hard because in many other match ups, Hus would have my vote.
What you know about Mary Magdalene probably exceeds what anyone knows about Mary Magdalene!
D*mn you for making me choose between these two.
Greatly admire Hus for his courage & commitment to a just cause in the face of powerful opposition, but it’s gotta be Magdalene for the same reasons.
Plus a sense of “…backwards and in high heels.”
It was a very difficult call between these two powerhouse candidates. I went with MM. Jon has outstanding points and is a strong candidate but I have to go with an apostle who was first at the reincarnation!
Harry, perhaps “resurrection” is a better word than “reincarnation” here…Easter morning…
Let’s talk about chutzpah… I’d say staying at the cross openly befriending someone the Roman Empire has just crucified definitely counts! I notice most of the others were hiding for their lives.
Great discussion here, friends! You all are making Lent Madness relevant and fun, and it warms my heart that some of you have decided to go and learn more about some of these saints after reading the bios here.
Got to go with “The great and holy myrrh-bearer Mary Magdalene, equal of the apostles” (orthodoxwiki.com). Plus the cathedral of the Polish Orthodox Church in Warsaw is “Cathedral of Mary Magdalen Equal to the Apostles”
This was an easy vote! Mary has always been important to me! Couldn’t wait for this match up! Go Mary!
Going to have to “cheat” and give a vote to both of them! Two pretty awesome people.
For those who have chosen Hus because he “spoke truth to power,” I would contend that Mary did as well, when she stood before the Emperor Tiberias and testified to the Resurrection — and turned an egg red!
Mary gets my vote today. Actually, she gets my vote every day.
Another militant disagreement in the family today, but we vote once and I have final control of the mouse. This was a tough one! My daughter and I prevailed, even though, as my seven year old said, “John Huss was _cool_,” and went on to explain what we had just read about receiving in both kinds, which I thought was cool.
Mary Mags vs John Huss is like a #1 Seed vs. #16 in the NCAA brackets…sorry John Huss, sometimes it’s the luck of the draw.
Poor JH, no matter how many of us are impressed with him, he just can’t seem to break past the 35% mark…
Very sad, indeed.
The comments have been as educational for me as the original bios.
Suggestion for a future match-up… Pit Hus against Martin Luther.
I appreciate all the info shared on Mary M… I’m routing for her to go all the way.
Another suggestion for a future match-up — Mary Magdalene vs. Mary, the Mother of Our Lord. Now that should create an interesting string of comments!
Oh vey!
Now THAT’S what I call an equal match!
The Blessed Virgin Mary already has a crown. She is in a category all her own. She has no need of a golden halo. Let the other saints duke it out for that honor.
So torn, but, in the end, Huss can only truly triumph if thoroughly martyred. Win, win!
John Huss and Mary Magdalene…hmmm, I have to go with Mary Magdalene. John Huss is great, but I just have a gut feeling for this one.
I don’t know. I figured Mary was the obvious, but she got to actually meet and hang out with Jesus. What about the whole believing even though I don’t see it for real. Huss put up a good fight for good stuff….
If having unflattering stories circulated long after one is too dead to care merits the golden halo, then I’ll have you know that John Huss was a Wall Street investment banker (and not one of the ones who goes to Trinity Church), that he kicked puppies, pushed old ladies out into the street, and personally suggested the Star Wars prequels.
Mary has my vote because she may have been portrayed as a harlot to soothe men’s egos back then because women were not allowed to hang out with the men. However, she was toally appreciated for her financial support to Jesus and His apostles! She has been so misunderstood for too long! She portrays what “LOVE” could be and what Jesus asks of us to be!
Without Hus, would Martin Luther even have been inspired to post his 95 Theses? That is one of the questions I asked myself before voting. As inpiring as it is that Mary of Magdala was the first to proclaim the risen Christ – to those who already believed in Him and His Godly nature,the strength of faith required to defy, not one but two popes, to defend the right of the laity to communion in both kinds as well as access to the bible in their native language, puts Jan Hus over the top for my vote. He sounds as rebellious as his inspiration, Jesus the Christ, who challenged the authorities of the day by defending the rights of the ordinary people.
I’m going with MM. She is one of the many strong women who followed Jesus and didn’t run away when things got tough. And, the women seemed to “get it”, as in the case of the woman with the alabaster jar of nard anointing Jesus in anticipation of his impending death. The guys always seemed to be in denial. So, I guess this is a vote for the strong women in the first century Jesus movement.
“Blessed are those who haven’t seen me but believe” – even Jesus votes for Huss. How much more blessed are those who haven’t seen but get burned at the stake?
Huss never had the experience of seeing the risen Christ but earned it nevertheless. A tough choice
OK, now I’m finallybeginning to get “IT,”. [sorry, not Information Technology]. I am not a good evangelizer, etc., but I now know that I should have enlisted the aid of my fellow graduates from a Moravian ( ok, be it known that I am a Cradle Episcopalian) institution to gain more votes for JH. All right I’ll let “it” go. Father Tim, you are a genius. None of us would have ever looked at these saints– certainly not in the same way. Thank you so much. (And to Scott, also, for FM’s participatipation). And, BTW, my daughter graduated from Kenyon College, so Philander Chase RULES!
Apostola apostolorum. Why did it take so long for people to get it? She’s the greatest, and deserves all the votes she gets! May we all be so healthy and so strong and so smart!
I chose Mary Magdalene as my confirmation saint. Of Course I have to vote for her! Go Magdalene!
I have to vote for Hus–I’m part Bohemian.
Who does these pairings? The BCS committee?