This morning's lectionary passage includes a very famous statement of Jesus to Peter: "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church."

It has been a source of huge argument between Protestants and Catholics.

More recently, however, scholars have suggested that it may have been a comment about a different argument - between communities that emerged around Peter and Mary Magdalene.

This isn't a DaVinci code thing. Rather serious textual and biblical scholars.

You see, Mary Magdalene's name, "magdala" means "tower" in Hebrew.

This has led to speculation that she was "Mary the Tower" to some early followers of Jesus.

There's significant tension between Peter and Mary in non-canonical texts (that's not a point of debate).

Is today's small comment, "Peter the Rock" intended to contrast - a biblical subtweet as it were - to "Mary the Tower"?

Rather than a point of tension as we know it between RCs and Protestants, the tension was between those who ranked Peter's authority above that of Mary's in early Christianity...? That this evidences a gender conflict rather than a polity one?

(btw, the NT also gives theological nicknames to other characters like James and John, "The Sons of Thunder.")

Libbie Schrader of Duke argues that Martha's confession in John 11 was actually Mary's confession. Thus, today's text could be a specific contrast btwn Peter's confession and Mary's. Was the church "built" on that of Peter the Rock or Mary the Tower? https://today.duke.edu/2019/06/mary-or-martha-duke-scholars-research-finds-mary-magdalene-downplayed-new-testament-scribes

Was there a pair of confessions in the original text? One from Peter, the other by Mary? And the second obscured by some ancient editor? The case is suggestive, if not more.