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, The Black Madonna, 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

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Colin McEnroe, Dylan Reyes, and Isaac Moss contributed to this episode, which originally aired on February 18, 2026.