Reviews for Mary: The Church at the Source

The average rating for Mary: The Church at the Source based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2008-12-03 00:00:00 Rob Dave Despite its title this is not so much a book on Mary or Mariology per se as it is a book on the Church's understanding of itself through its understanding of Mary in relationship with Jesus, hence the title, Mary: The Church At Its Source. Although Mariology is an impossibly broad topic to begin with it is still generally limited - according to the Catholic Encyclopedia - to, 'the doctrine of the Mother of God, (which) cannot be separated either from the person or from the work of the Redeemer and therefore has the deepest connection with both Christology and Soteriology,' and doesn't explore questions of Church identity in quite the way this book does. However, for that reason, this isn't really a good book for someone looking to begin their studies on the Mother of God. It has limited and narrowly-defined objectives which it clearly sets out and beautifully meets. It was interesting (and recommended) to read this book during the Liturgical seasons of Advent and Christmas as well as in conjunction with Bud McFarlane's Pierced by a Sword another book with deep Marian significance. The first half of the book is a collection of essays written by Pope Benedict XVI and the second half are written by the Catholic theologian, Hans Urs von Balthasar. Each essay is a stand-alone entity and as such they can be read in any order, although I did see some benefit in reading them in chronological order. Readers can expect to learn about Marian doctrine and piety in faith, especially Mary's significance to her children as 'Woman', our mother and as she represents the Church. Highly recommended'especially during Advent'which is when I read it the first time. Since then I have found it to be an excellent resource.

Review # 2 was written on 2009-10-08 00:00:00 Wanda Newton This series of lectures and essays on Mariology, along with a class on the subject I took at Mundelein, have totally revolutionized the place Marian doctrine and devotion has in my life. Formerly, I regarded the discipline of Mariology as an obscure, restricted study of 18th- and 19th-century works on Marian devotion, devoid of much systemazation or relevance to Church teaching on Mary, let alone the life of the Church as a whole. With then Cardinal Ratzinger's and von Balthasar's exposition of the subject, I was disabused of my disregard of Mariology in general. In fact, in the Church's teaching on the person of Mary, the subjects of human freedom and divine grace, biblical theology, theological anthropology, Church history, ecclesiastical office, and the form of discipleship--just to name a few--converge. In this way, Mary provides an entry point into all these various dimensions of theology and serves to unite them. I would highly recommend this book to all interested in discovering the foundations of the Church's teaching on Mary, especially those who are puzzled by the apparently undue emphasis Catholic teaching places upon her.