In this episode, Tim speaks with feminist theologian and author Meggan Watterson about the Gospel of Mary and the Acts of Paul and Thecla — early Christian texts that didn’t make it into the New Testament. They explore what these stories reveal about the diversity of early Christianities, the formation of the biblical canon, and the ways women’s voices were preserved, reshaped, or silenced. What does it mean that some communities treasured these texts enough to pass them on — and how might Christianity have looked if Mary and Thecla had been read alongside Paul and Peter?
The conversation moves from history into questions of authority, embodiment, and discernment. Meggan reflects on what drew her to these texts and what she means by “inner authority,” while Tim probes the tension between personal revelation and communal accountability. Together they ask what kind of faith might emerge if we loosen our grip on a single master story without losing our grounding.
Following the interview, Nomad hosts Tim and Joy reflect on growing up with a narrow vision of “the early church,” the uneasy relationship between canon and power, and what it means to reclaim inner authority without losing community.
Interview starts at 14m 01s
WEBSITE
SOCIALS
BOOKS
BOOKS MENTIONED
After Jesus Before Christianity – Hal Taussig
The New New Testament – Hal Taussig
QUOTES
“I will teach you about what is hidden from you.”
“There is a power of love within each of us that is greater than the violence being done to us.”
“Separate, we can be oppressed. But if we all rise at the same time, we have to be considered and taken seriously.”