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. Taboris 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-Jonesis 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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Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

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

Biblical scholar James Tabor says that Mary&ndash;the mother of Jesus&ndash;is &ldquo;the best known, least known woman in history.&rdquo; This hour, we&rsquo;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:
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://jamestabor.com/">James D. Tabor</a> is a biblical scholar, and a retired professor of religious studies at the University Of North Carolina at Charlotte. He&rsquo;s the author of <a href="https://jamestabor.com/books/">The Lost Mary: Rediscovering the Mother of Jesus</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
</li>
<li>
(The Rev.) <a href="https://adkinsjones.com/">Amey Victoria Adkins-Jones</a> is Assistant Professor of Theology and Africana Studies<a href="https://candler.emory.edu/faculty-profiles/amey-victoria-adkins-jones/"> at Emory University</a>. She&rsquo;s a constructive theologian and scholar of Black religion specializing in Mariology, Black feminist and womanist thought, and theological anthropology. She&rsquo;s the author of <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/immaculate-misconceptions-9780198950042?cc=us&amp;lang=en&amp;">Immaculate Misconceptions: A Black Mariology</a>.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
</li>
</ul>
MUSIC FEATURED (in order):
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us9plufTqks">Mary On A Cross</a> &ndash; Ghost
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqDfi7HfxdM">Along Comes Mary</a> &ndash; The Association
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhqVPrGnQfY">The Wind Cries Mary</a> &ndash; Jimi Hendrix
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgy_clcavTQ">Mary Rock the Baby</a> &ndash; Jarell Smalls
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79fzeNUqQbQ">Like a Prayer</a> &ndash; Madonna
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://youtu.be/wxGNGMkY134">Lady Madonna (Theme from Grace Under Fire)</a> &ndash; Aretha Franklin
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIgu0dVmV8U">Mary, Did You Know?</a> &ndash; The Braxtons
</li>
</ul>
The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-colin-mcenroe-show/id714179884">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0AXtqrzWounIoJyIqz003p">Spotify</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9b6b3cee-f69b-4729-a78b-181f851d80e8/the-colin-mcenroe-show">Amazon Music</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/The-Colin-McEnroe-Show-p1208473/">TuneIn</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-colin-mcenroe-show-connecticut-public-lXR08dxQSM5/">Listen Notes</a>, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/newsletters">Subscribe to&nbsp;The Noseletter</a>, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by&nbsp;The Colin McEnroe Show.
Join the conversation on&nbsp;<a href="https://facebook.com/ColinMcShow">Facebook</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/colinmcshow">Twitter</a>.
Colin McEnroe, Dylan Reyes, and Isaac Moss contributed to this episode, which originally aired on February 18, 2026.

The Colin McEnroe Show is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called The Nose for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.

<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/the-colin-mcenroe-show/about">The Colin McEnroe Show</a> is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/tags/the-nose">The Nose</a> for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.