Thank you! I read both of the links you posted. The two pieces are still really difficult to understand, but since I have to pick one of the two, I think I'll write about the Gospel of Mary..
The first part says to write a summary of the gospel as I understand it , and include quotes...
Well, according to me, It starts off with Jesus talking with some of his followers and telling them about sins. He continues to tell his followers about the sin of adultery. After speaking for a while Jesus gets up and leaves, and the people are left confused (..?) Then comes Mary and they ask her about the words of the Savior. The rest of the story goes on with Mary explaining her talks with Jesus to the people. (Some of the pages are missing in the middle). Near the end two of the followers question Mary about whether these were truly the words of the Savior or not. Peter continues to ask, "Has the Savior spoken secretly to a woman and not openly so that we would all hear?" This shows their concern as to why the Savior would share all this with a woman and not his male followers. In the end Levi comes up and tells them that they shouldn't have doubts about the Savior, rather they should go out and convey his message.
how is this?..
I'm not familiar with this text, but your summary looks good.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_Mary
Y -- are you attending a local college?
I find it strange that an intro to world religions class assigned a passage that is not included in the Bible, although it looks as though it was.
Your summary of the Gospel of Mary is a good start! It captures the main points of the story and includes some important details. However, to further improve your summary, I would recommend incorporating more specific quotes from the text to support your points.
For example, when you mention Jesus talking about sins, you could include a quote such as: "Every nature, every modeled form, every creature, exists in and with each other." This emphasizes Jesus' teachings on the interconnectedness of all beings.
When describing the confusion of the people after Jesus leaves, you can mention the following quote: "Will matter then be destroyed or not?" This reflects the disciples grappling with the deeper meaning of Jesus' words and seeking clarification.
Additionally, to highlight Mary's role as the prominent figure in the narrative, you can include a quote like: "Did He really speak with a woman in private without our knowledge? Are we to turn about and all listen to her?" This demonstrates the disciples' skepticism and questioning of Mary's authority to convey Jesus' teachings.
By incorporating these direct quotes, you not only strengthen your summary but also provide readers with specific evidence from the text to support your understanding of the Gospel of Mary.