The University of Notre Dame Australia ResearchOnline@ND Theology Conference Papers School of Theology 2012 Jesus the Gardener – a View of the Garden Scene Through Text and Image Angela McCarthy University of Notre Dame Australia,
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://researchonline.nd.edu.au/theo_conference Part of the Religion Commons This conference paper was originally published as: McCarthy, A. (2012). Jesus the Gardener – a View of the Garden Scene Through Text and Image. 5th Annual “Sharing Theological Passions”. This conference paper is posted on ResearchOnline@ND at https://researchonline.nd.edu.au/theo_conference/11. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. 5th Annual “Sharing Theological Passions” A Theological Colloquium sponsored by: The University of Notre Dame Australia, School of Philosophy and Theology Harvest West Bible College Perth Bible College Trinity Theological College Murdoch University, Theology Program Tabor College Vose Seminary Jesus the Gardener – a View of the Garden Scene Through Text and Image Dr Angela McCarthy, University of Notre Dame Australia Introduction Our previous speaker, Jim Cregan, has given us a rich view of the notion of the Royal Gardener, the cosmic gardener, and the understanding that the gardener image is not simply a way of suggesting that Mary Magdalen was very confused, but rather the evangelist of the Fourth Gospel presenting us with a very rich symbol of the Risen Christ. From the garden of Eden, to the garden of Gethsemane and then to the garden of Paradise, the power of the symbol is there. As Jim noted, the allegorical motif of Jesus as the ‘cosmic gardener’ “achieved prominence in the Middle Ages but had its origins in much earlier Christian homiletics.” 1 Katherine Jansen maintains that the reason for the popularity of this particular scene in the middle ages was the development of the cult of the Magdalen.