Maggy Whitehouse (born 1956) is an Independent Sacramental priest, a stand-up comedian,[1] a broadcaster and an author and specialist in Judaeo-Christian mysticism,[2] particularly Bible interpretation for interfaith[clarification needed].
She is a radio presenter and former BBC journalist, a travel documentary presenter and producer for Carlton TV, has acted as host moderator for BBC's Religion and Ethics message boards and was producer of BBC's now defunct holistic health and spirituality website.[3]
Whitehouse is the author of books on Judaism, Christianity and faith, including four on the Judaic mystical system known as Kabbalah. She was co-founder and Consultant Editor of the holistic magazine Tree of Life.[4]
Whitehouse is also literary agent for the British novelist Norah Lofts.
Comedy edit
Maggy Whitehouse trained as a stand-up comedian in 2012 at the age of 56. She is unique for her no-holds-barred interpretation of religion and priesthood and is now a professional comic gigging throughout the UK. In 2014 she took her one-hour show The Maggy Whitehouse Experience[5] to the Edinburgh Fringe.[6] She was a finalist in the 2015 UK Funny Women Awards,.[7] In 2018 she joined forces with two Anglican clergy, Rev. Ravi Holy of the Wye Benefice and Rev. Kate Bruce, RAF Chaplain to form White Collar Comedy. The three performed at Edinburgh Fringe from 1 to 10 August 2019 at Sofi's Southside.[8]
Bible metaphysics and authorship edit
Maggy Whitehouse is an author and teacher of the Judaic mystical system of Kabbalah with particular reference to the mystical interpretation of the teachings of Jesus and the place and role of women in the Bible era.
Her latest book is A Woman's Worth, The Divine Feminine in the Hebrew Bible.
Whitehouse's 2007 book The Marriage of Jesus explored the social and economic times in which Jesus lived. Her theory is that Jesus would have married, like any other young man of his times, at the age of approximately 14. Working from historical knowledge of the times (and referring to Suzanne Dixon's book The Roman Mother) Whitehouse begins from the premise that the average lifespan of a woman in Jesus' time was 27 years. As Jesus is said to have begun his ministry at approximately 30 years old, she finds it likely that he was a widower by that time.
In the 1990s Whitehouse wrote a fictional trilogy about a female cousin of Jesus, including The Book of Deborah.
Whitehouse's novel The Miracle Man, an updated version of the story of Christ, was published in November 2010.
Background and ministry edit
From 1993 to 2009 Whitehouse studied the Toledano Tradition of Kabbalah with Z'ev ben Shimon Halevi (Warren Kenton). She has acknowledged Kenton as the inspiration for her books on Kabbalah, which she calls "primers" for Kenton's own work.
Whitehouse studied New Testament Greek at Birmingham University for a year with Mark Goodacre and David Parker. She became an interfaith funeral minister in 2003. In 2007 she was ordained into the Apostolic Church of the Risen Christ, an Independent Catholic church, part of the Ascension Alliance.
Broadcasting edit
Whitehouse presented the Sunday morning breakfast show on BBC Radio Devon between August 2016 and October 2017.[9] She worked as breakfast presenter for BBC Radio WM and Hereward Radio in the 1980s and as assistant producer on BBC Pebble Mill At One. In 1989, Whitehouse presented and co-produced the documentary Manchuria Express,[10] about steam engines in China as part of Channel 4's 'Voyager' series. Her father Patrick Whitehouse was an advisor on the series.[11]
Works edit
- Living Kabbalah. Hamlyn (2004). ISBN 978-0-600-60970-4
- Into the Kingdom (Chronicles of Deborah). Tree of Life Publishing (2007). ISBN 978-1-905806-17-1
- The Marriage of Jesus. O Books (2007). ISBN 978-1-84694-008-8
- The Secret History of Opus Dei. Lorenz Books (2007). ISBN 978-0-7548-1699-7
- Total Kabbalah: Bring Balance and Happiness into Your Life. Chronicle Books (2007). ISBN 978-0-8118-6137-3
- The Complete Illustrated History of Kabbalah. Lorenz Books (2008). ISBN 978-0-7548-1765-9
- From Credit Crunch to Pure Prosperity. O Books (2009). ISBN 978-1-84694-328-7
- The Spiritual Laws of Prosperity. Tree of Life Publishing (2009). ISBN 978-1-905806-37-9
- The Miracle Man. O Books (Nov 2010). ISBN 978-1-84694-416-1
- A Woman's Worth, the Divine Feminine in the Hebrew Bible. ISBN 978-1780998343
- For the Love of Dog. ISBN 978-1905806485
References edit
- ^ "Stand up comedian priest Maggy is a revelation". Western Morning News. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
- ^ "Emerging Voices – Maggy Whitehouse - OMBS Blog". www.o-books.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016.
- ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A825473, BBC home, 360 - Changing the World by Degrees, The Johannesburg Earth Summit is over - so now what?, author Maggie W, 11 September 2002, Retrieved 16 September 2010.
- ^ http://www.treeoflifemagazine.com, Tree of Life, Autumn 2010, Kabbalah and Healing, Maggie Whitehouse, Retrieved 16 September 2010.
- ^ "The Rev. Maggy Whitehouse Three Minute Interview: Broadway Baby, Brighter Coverage". Broadway Baby. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
- ^ "Review: The Maggy Whitehouse Experience | The Wee Review". The Wee Review. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
- ^ "Your 2015 Funny Women Awards winner is..." Funny Women. 24 September 2015. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
- ^ Vowles, Charlotte (14 July 2019). "Meet the real-life Vicar of Dibley". Devon Live. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
- ^ "Maggy Whitehouse". BBC Radio Devon. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
- ^ "Manchuria Express". YouTube. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021.
- ^ "Patrick Whitehouse". The Times. 17 August 1993. p. 17.