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QUESTIONS FROM READERS

Dan Burstein, one of Bookreporter.com's featured One to Watch authors, answers readers' questions about the inspiration for SECRETS OF MARY MAGDALENE, the research he conducted for this powerful and insightful new work, his views on the mega-success of THE DA VINCI CODE and the books that offer commentary on the Dan Brown bestseller, and the future of the Secrets series.

Cathy from Aldan, PA: After all your research, have your views towards Mary Magdalene altered or changed?
 
Dan Burstein: There are no contemporaneous accounts of the life of Mary Magdalene. Still, we generally find ourselves agreeing with the strand of modern scholarship that sees her as one of the women who financially and otherwise supported Jesus in his efforts to bring a radical new message to the Jews. The historical evidence also points to her as the person who became his close companion and important disciple. And, as witness to the Resurrection, the defining characteristic of Christianity, she was a pivotal figure in the development of early Christianity.
 
The Gnostic gospels and other alternative scriptures certainly raise some eye-opening questions about Mary Magdalene, gender politics, the sacred feminine, the nature of religious belief and knowledge, and many other intriguing matters. Those documents clearly suggest that certain ancient authors believed Mary had a special relationship with Jesus --- that he may have loved her best among all his followers, that he may have told her sacred, mystical things that he did not tell the others, that he may have kissed her frequently, and that others in the early Christian circle were jealous of that relationship, and some saw no role for a woman in their movement. Reading and learning about the view of Mary Magdalene in the alternative texts has really had a big impact on my own thinking as I try to imagine what actually happened two thousand years ago.
 
However, I don't believe personally that either the accepted gospels of the New Testament or the gnostic gospels can be taken as historically accurate. Both, in my personal opinion, are best read as history combined with myth, metaphor and morality play. 
 
Mary Magdalene's life is mostly known to us through stories, myths and legends, not through facts and evidence. So while I think there are strong, compelling and tantalizing clues that she may have had a very close relationship with Jesus that could conceivably have included marriage and intimate sexual union, the fact of the matter is that there is no credible evidence to support the belief she was married to Jesus, bore his children, lived out her days in France and started a royal bloodline. Her later portrayal --- whether as saint or sinner, follower or leader --- was, and continues to be, a reflection of the mirror we hold up to ourselves.
 
David from Newark, DE: Was the driving force to pull this book together Dan Brown's THE DA VINCI CODE? After pulling all these authors' opinions together, what is your opinion about Mary Magdalene?
 
Dan Burstein: Our immediate interest in Mary Magdalene sprang from Dan Brown’s mega-seller, THE DA VINCI CODE. Her identity and her legacy were central to the plot, and central to the controversies surrounding the plot. We had the same questions everyone else seemed to have: What was real? What was fiction? So we set out to find the answers.
 
We compiled some of these answers in our first book about THE DA VINCI CODE, which was SECRETS OF THE CODE. (That book is now available in an updated paperback edition. See SecretsOfTheCode.com for more information.)
 
It was clear, however, that the general fascination with Mary Magdalene and the thirst for knowledge about her went far beyond THE DA VINCI CODE. Indeed, several trend spotters have labeled her as the “it” girl for our age --- a not necessarily flattering characterization.
 
So we went on to a much deeper exploration of Mary Magdalene as a historical figure, as a follower of Jesus, as a critical figure in early Christianity, as a representation of religious beliefs, and as inspiration for artists, writers, musicians and today’s search for the spiritual.
 
We were then able to share a wide range of modern perspectives on this important figure. Represented are experts and scholars who believe everything we need to know about Mary Magdalene can be found in the New Testament, as well as those who find that alternative gospels --- with their much greater emphasis on her starring role as disciple and close companion to Jesus --- the best way to interpret her. We also found the voices of those who connect her to ancient goddess figures and the traditions of the “sacred feminine,” and those who find here the ultimate inspiration for today.
 
It has been a fascinating --- and illuminating --- journey for us and we hope readers will find it so as well.
 
Debby from Rapid City, SD: Why do you think THE DA VINCI CODE and all the books that have sprung up --- either supporting the book or not supporting the book --- have been such blockbusters?
 
Dan Burstein: THE DA VINCI CODE touches a raw nerve in our culture. It covers a sweeping amount of ground concerning issues people want to talk and think about: the meaning of religion and spirituality in our times, the role of women in religion, gender politics, sex/spirituality/morality, etc., secret truths, conspiracy theory, power and control of information even in the information age, new art and archeological finds that either lend credibility or call into question the Bible and other ancient texts, science versus religion, the power and meaning of symbols, intriguing episodes from history that are little understood today, Leonardo da Vinci, and much more. Any of the books of commentary on THE DA VINCI CODE that add to this discussion have proven to be of interest, along with the many TV documentaries. Incidentally, we have made our own feature film documentary based on SECRETS OF THE CODE, which will be out early next year. We have also worked on a DVD version of SECRETS OF MARY MAGDALENE, which is being released simultaneously with the book.
 
Donna from Baltimore, MD: What else interests you enough to explore? Perhaps where Jesus grew up? Why is so little known?
 
Dan Burstein: I am interested in the many books that have been written suggesting different theories about where Jesus may have spent his "lost years" and whether he was ever in Egypt, the near east, or even Tibet or India as some people have conjectured. There is almost no evidence for any of these theories, but they are interesting. I am also interested in other lost scriptures and texts, and other writings from people later declared to be heretics. I thought the discussion earlier this year about the so-called Gospel of Judas was quite interesting.

Jenny from Jefferson, LA: How do you go about finding the "experts" who contribute to the book? Do you have their reference materials available to verify the information they provide?
 
Dan Burstein: Our procedure, similar to our prior Secrets books, was to first come to grips with about a hundred books written about Mary Magdalene, dozens of scholarly and popular articles in this and related fields, and continual searches on the web, all to thoroughly familiarize ourselves with all the key issues and the most qualified people to address them.
 
From this, we draw upon the most interesting, differentiated and authoritative voices and begin the process of conversations, interviews, the assignment of original essays and the request for permissions. We sought a blend of the most interesting and credible academic thinkers (people like Elaine Pagels, Marvin Meyer, Bart Ehrman, Karen King, and so forth) with people who come out of pop culture and who are developing their own independent theories based on their own research (people like Tori Amos, Kathleen McGowan, Margaret Starbird, etc.). There was no particular viewpoint or agenda about Mary that drove our final choices, other than to make sure the reader had before them the best sources from which to draw their own conclusions about this fascinating figure.
 
Kathy from Flushing, MI: Are there going to be any more Secrets books?
 
Dan Burstein: The Secrets series will continue. SECRETS OF THE CODE was our first book, which was followed by SECRETS OF ANGELS & DEMONS. We then did a path-breaking book, SECRETS OF THE WIDOW'S SON, by David A. Shugarts --- which was designed to provide insight into Dan Brown's next, as-yet unpublished book (announced as THE SOLOMON KEY), before THE SOLOMON KEY is even published. In any case, we will probably create a book similar to THE SECRETS OF THE CODE about THE SOLOMON KEY once (and if) it comes out. From there we will likely go on to build on the success of the Secrets series with books on other topics, although probably not connected to Dan Brown novels.
 
Mary Angela from Big Sandy, TN: The only question or suggestion that I have is to include pictures that are being talked about in your book so people don't have to just visualize what is being talked about. I think pictures like this inserted in would have a great deal of appeal to your book.
 
Dan Burstein: Please note that the final, hardcover edition has an extensive section of color plates that was not in the Advance Reading Copy. We will be happy to send you a copy if you provide your mailing address.

Maggie from Woods Hole, MA: How did you get the idea/inspiration to start the Secrets series? It's pretty far off topic from your day job.
 
Dan Burstein: I have always been fascinated with history and particularly the new impact of archeological finds and discoveries of lost documents and art works on what we know about history. I was utterly fascinated when I first read THE DA VINCI CODE, and after I did my own work to research what was fact and fiction to satisfy my own curiosity, I discovered that my findings were interesting to a lot of other people as well. I had written many other books in the past, so I immediately understood how a book like SECRETS OF THE CODE could be put together with the participation of a broad group of experts, specialists and scholars.

Mike from Long Beach, NY: I appreciate the research done for this book. How do you find all the experts and how much personal knowledge do you have of a subject before deciding to write on it?
 
Dan Burstein: Please see my reply to Jenny above...I think it is important for me to have developed enough expertise on a subject to have a good strong feeling for which academics and experts have the most interesting and important things to say. But I believe our Secrets books work best because of our role as editors in convening the right set of contributors to the books. My own expertise is very secondary to getting the right people involved with the right fresh, insightful, thought-provoking ideas.

Reeca from Ripley, MS: I would just love to sit down with you for a few hours (or days) over a cup (or pots) of coffee.
 
Dan Burstein: Thanks! When we get past some of our current deadlines, I'll let you know.
 
Rita from Centennial, CO: I wonder what other subjects you might undertake. Will you be writing a book about the Masons now that Dan Brown is turning his attention to this area?

Dan Burstein: Please see reply to Kathy above. Our SECRETS OF THE WIDOW'S SON is a really interesting look at the Freemasons and Masonic issues and themes, as well as many other questions. But the Freemasons are central to this book.
 
Sheila from Danvers, MA: What next topic will you explore?
 
Dan Burstein: We are working on a very exciting and wide range of topics for the next few books in the Secrets series. See some of my comments above. 
 
Steven from Stayton, OR: After the popularity of THE DA VINCI CODE, we saw a proliferation of other books; THE DA VINCI CODE clones I called them. One ongoing theme of those books was the Knights Templar. Dan Brown addresses the demise of the Knights Templar in THE DA VINCI CODE, but only briefly. Would you consider doing a similar book discussing the Knights Templar and all that has been written about that group?
 
Dan Burstein: We covered the Knights Templar to some degree in both SECRETS OF THE CODE as well as Secrets of the Widow's Son. There are also many good new books on Templar history. I am reading multiple books on Templar history currently, and am developing some interesting new perspectives.

Vincent from Tamarac, FL: Have you had any comment or feedback from the Pope regarding your book?
 
Dan Burstein: I have not yet heard from the Pope. However, because of the approach taken in the Secrets series, which is one of respect and tolerance for many perspectives, as well as inclusion of voices from many faiths and denominations, we have generally been warmly received by religious communities. I have been welcomed as a speaker and a participant in the discussion at forums as diverse as the Pope John Paul II center in Washington, DC and the 92nd Street YMHA in New York. I have spoken on panels with members of Opus Dei, I have spoken at interfaith meetings, Jewish temples, and to new age spiritual groups.

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