Mary

The Virgin Mary is a ubiquitous but enigmatic presence in Christian history and culture. The tradition about Mary forms a vast and multi-layered aspect of Western history, culture and spirituality. It is not just in the Catholic tradition that Mary has become a particular focus of study and interest. Mary has also become a crucial interest for Christians outside this tradition (Protestant, Anglican) as a path to ecumenical understanding.....Dr Beattie and Dr Boss, two leading Marian scholars, have assembled a reader of essential texts for anyone interested in pursuing this area of study. The result is astonishing and will open up whole new avenues for theological and spiritual enquiry. And the book draws on writings from both Eastern and Western Christian tradition. Starting with the New Testament, the texts assembled draw from the Early Fathers, the great medieval writers like St Bernard of Clairvaux and right up to contemporary writers like Marina Warner.....Devotion to Our Lady has always been central to Eastern Orthodoxy. The liturgies of Orthodox Marian Feats draw heavily on the language and symbolism of the early Greek Church, so that they offer a majestic and awe-inspiring vision of the cosmic significance of the Incarnation. This too is well represented in this fascinating new book.