Shedding light on the mystery of Mary episode artwork

EPISODE · Feb 18, 2026 · 49 MIN

Shedding light on the mystery of Mary

from The Colin McEnroe Show · host Connecticut Public Radio

Biblical scholar James Tabor says that Mary – the mother of Jesus – is “the best known, least known woman in history.” This hour, we’ll get to know Mary a little better and talk about why some people are obsessed with preserving her purity at the expense of her humanity. And, we talk with (The Reverend) Amey Victoria Adkins-Jones from Emory University about Mary mythology, Black Madonnas and the myriad ways Mary is depicted in art and culture. GUESTS: James D. Tabor is a biblical scholar, and a retired professor of religious studies at the University Of North Carolina at Charlotte. He’s the author of The Lost Mary: Rediscovering the Mother of Jesus. (The Rev.) Amey Victoria Adkins-Jones is Assistant Professor of Theology and Africana Studies at Emory University. She’s a constructive theologian and scholar of Black religion specializing in Mariology, Black feminist and womanist thought, and theological anthropology. She’s the author of Immaculate Misconceptions: A Black Mariology.  MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Mary On A Cross – Ghost Along Comes Mary – The Association The Wind Cries Mary – Jimi Hendrix Mary Rock the Baby – Jarell Smalls Like a Prayer – Madonna Lady Madonna (Theme from Grace Under Fire) – Aretha Franklin Mary, Did You Know? – The Braxtons Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Colin McEnroe, Robyn Doyoon-Aitken and Dylan Reyes contributed to this episode.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Shedding light on the mystery of Mary

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This episode was published on February 18, 2026.

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Biblical scholar James Tabor says that Mary – the mother of Jesus – is “the best known, least known woman in history.” This hour, we’ll get to know Mary a little better and talk about why some people are obsessed with preserving her purity at the...

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