Showing posts with label Mary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mary. Show all posts

February 7, 2019

Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary

Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary by Brant Pitre gives Christians from all backgrounds a better understanding of the biblical view of the Mother of Christ.

Published by Image, who kindly sent me a copy to review, the book begins with the author’s questioning the church’s teaching about Mary in his attempt to answer his own questions and those often asked by non-Catholics.

As the Introduction says, “This book is written for anyone who has ever wondered what the Bible really teaches about Mary, the mother of Jesus.”

Then, “Eventually, it dawned on me that the reason I had begun to consider Catholic beliefs about Mary ‘unbiblical’ was that I was not paying enough attention to the Old Testament.”

Does this matter? As the Introduction goes on to say, “When it comes to the mother of Jesus, the stakes are high. Mary is a dividing line between Christians. And the issues involved are serious. If Protestants are right about Mary, then both Catholic and Orthodox Christians – more than half of the world’s Christian population – are committing idolatry on a regular basis. If Catholics and Orthodox are right about Mary, then Protestant Christians – a little less than half of the world’s Christians – are missing out on what the Bible as a whole reveals about the mother of Christ.”

As a Christian who sees where both sides are coming from, I was not interested in who's right but in God’s ongoing command to honor our parents. And, my honoring the mother of my Savior seems like the respectful, responsible thing to do. In addition, I’ve often heard – in the early church and onward –  peoples of all faiths have been drawn to Mary, who then draws them to Christ.

After reading this book with interest, I highly recommend it to anyone who would like to know more about Jesus’ mother and the biblical parallels between her and various women in the Hebrew Bible. In the chapter, “The New Eve,” for instance, the author draws parallels between Mary and Eve, the latter of whom was referred to in Genesis as “woman” before the Fall and only given a proper name afterwards. Since I’d never noticed that distinction before, I could at last see why Jesus referred to His mother as “woman” a couple of times – not out of disrespect but as making a connection between her and the first woman. For, as the New Testament calls Jesus the “New Adam,” Mary can well be considered the New Eve.

Another biblical parallel occurs between Mary and the “Queen Mother” of the Old Testament. For example, the wife (or wives) of a king was not referred to as the Queen Mother, but his biological mother had that particular title. And so, with her Son Jesus as the King of Kings, Mary would understandably be placed in that royal category.

Other parallels can be found in the Ark of the Covenant that contained the Word of God and with Rachel, who weeps for her lost children. But, Dr. Pitre - a graduate of Notre Dame and present Research Professor of Scripture and Theology at the Augustine Institute - explains far better and more knowledgeably than I in this thought-provoking, easy-to-read, engaging book that, I pray, will help to heal the Marian rifts among us.





May 19, 2017

Drawn in Bible Study: Mary, the Mother of Jesus


When I heard about Mary: Seeing God through the Eyes of a Mother by Eugene H. Peterson, I immediately requested a review copy from Tyndale Blog Network for at least three reasons:

1. The work of Eugene Peterson, translator of The Message (MSG), is consistently worth reading!

2. Positive writings about Mary, the Mother of Jesus, have been too few, except among Catholic book publishers or devotional writers, who annually focus on the Nativity.

3. The idea of a “Drawn in Bible Study” appealed to me greatly for its fresh approach to study and discussions about God’s Word.

Those aspects of this book by NavPress do not disappoint, despite a couple of negative reactions on my part. To get those out of the way, my first “Oh, no!” concerns the tight binding of the paperback cover, which does not lay flat or cooperate well if you want to color pages as the publisher most likely intended.

My other regret for this book concerns a couple of Bible verses chosen to be illustrated: 1.) “The starving poor sat down to a banquet; the callous rich were left out in the cold,” from Luke 1, MSG. 2.) “They suspected He was getting carried away with Himself,” from Mark 3, MSG.

Perhaps the publisher felt those verses needed to be emphasized. Regardless, the other quotations from scripture edify readers and build faith. Indeed the overall content of the text makes an insightful, innovative, spirit-filled way to invigorate a Bible study and get better acquainted with Jesus’ Mother Mary.

As part of the “Drawn in Bible Study” series, this highly recommended book also includes:

• artwork and spaces in which you can color or draw,

• contemporary verses from The Message,

• questions to help you connect your life with scripture,

• comments from Eugene Peterson,

• leader’s notes to encourage you to involve others in this refreshing study of God’s Word.

Reviewed by Mary Harwell Sayler, © 2017, poet-writer, Bible reviewer, and lover of God’s Word.


Mary: Seeing God through the Eyes of a Mother, Drawn in Bible Study, paperback







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