Mary for Evangelicals: Toward an Understanding of the Mother of Our Lord - Softcover

Tim Perry

Softcover

ISBN 10: 083082569X ISBN 13: 9780830825691

Publisher: IVP Academic, 2006

Synopsis

Winner, 2007 World Guild Best Biblical Studies Book Is Mary for evangelicals? Should there be such a thing as an evangelical Mariology? Is she Our Lady, too? With his feet planted firmly in the evangelical tradition, Timothy Perry began to think that there must be more to Mary than generally meets the evangelical eye. Should we maintain that two thousand years of Christian thought on Mary is almost wholly wrong? How could the mother of our Lord, simply by virtue of the fact that she was God's chosen means of the incarnation, not deserve more serious theological reflection? And where might this lead? This book addresses the increasing evangelical interest in Mary and contributes to the current discussion of Mariology in evangelical-Roman Catholic dialogue. Beginning with Scripture, Perry probes the texts and traces the lengthy development of Christian thinking and practice related to Mary. From the earliest church fathers through the medieval thinkers and Protestant Reformers, and then on through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to present-day Catholic thought, Perry takes us on a fascinating and informative tour. Finally he concludes with a constructive--and even surprising--theological proposal for an evangelical Mariology that is rooted in, and demanded by, a high Christology. Sure to be discussed and debated, this is a book that will leave you in a different place from where you began.

About this title

Review:

"Tim Perry has provided Protestants, Catholics and Orthodox believers with a rich, informative account of the development of Marian teaching and issues a call to a sound, wise and holy appropriation of Mary for the church's life today. If you're wondering why the fuss about Mary, Perry's book is an excellent place to broaden your knowledge base. I warmly recommend it." (Christopher A. Hall, provost, Eastern University, and dean of the Templeton Honors College)

"This critical study of the Virgin Mary will be invaluable to evangelicals who wish to know Mary better; yet Perry also speaks a truth when he humbly admits that, after all this study, she is still a mystery. May this volume help readers to encounter this 'mysterious' woman whom Jesus loved so much." (Frederica Mathewes-Green, author of The Illumined Heart: The Ancient Christian Path of Transformation)

"For too long Protestant evangelicals have ignored Gabriel's assessment of Jesus' mother as the one who is 'blessed among women.' Mary for Evangelicals impressively addresses this deficiency, developing a Mariology that has biblical, historical and theological integrity. In addition, Tim Perry makes a positive contribution to the larger Protestant evangelical-Roman Catholic dialogue by addressing the right issues and taking them on with sensitivity and fairness to all. Most significantly, Perry's constant refrain that Marian doctrine has evolved largely as an implication of orthodox Christology stands as a needed corrective for many Protestants who misunderstand Roman Catholic doctrine. Perry has done the Protestant evangelical community and the 'God-bearer' a great service." (Dennis Okholm, professor of theology, Azusa Pacific University)

"Deeply informed by Scripture and by two millennia of Christian tradition, Tim Perry offers Protestants--evangelical and otherwise--a patient, mature and engaging account of the necessity of theological reflection on Mary. For those who want to take seriously the Bible's own declaration that all generations will call Mary blessed, this book is required reading." (Beverly Roberts Gaventa, Helen H. P. Manson Professor of New Testament Exegesis, Princeton Theological Seminary)

"It is one sign of the strength of this book by Tim Perry that I can heartily recommend it, even though I disagree with one of his conclusions. Perry's work is fascinating--offering many new insights for reading biblical accounts of Mary and surveying historical developments, in order to show us how and why churches have become so divided over her place in God's work of salvation. This book will make you think deeply and question your assumptions--in doing so it will contribute toward uniting the community of faith and helping us all to see and follow as Mary 'directs the faithful away from herself [and] always to her Son.'" (Marva J. Dawn, author of Talking the Walk, and Teaching Fellow in Spiritual Theology, Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia)

"From the fathers to the feminists, Tim Perry surveys the history of Marian traditions and comes to some conclusions that are bound to prod and provoke. I strongly agree with his two main points that evangelicals need to take a fresh look at Mary in light of the biblical witness, and that such reflection must be christologically grounded. This is an important study that deserves serious consideration." (Timothy George, dean, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University, and executive editor, Christianity Today)

From Publishers Weekly:

In this dense, learned study, Perry, a professor of theology at Manitoba's Providence College, attempts to bridge the different accounts of Mary that have long divided Catholics and evangelicals. The book was born of Protestant Perry's nagging sense that his tradition did not give the mother of Jesus her due. He insists, in good Protestant fashion, on grounding his evangelical Mariology in scripture, not in "postbiblical legends." Perry first examines how Mary figures in the New Testament. The major New Testament writers, according to Perry, had wildly different views of Mary, with Luke seeing her as a prophet and Paul viewing her as "no more than an anonymous mother." Perry then turns to the church fathers, arguing that medieval doctrines about Mary were not new inventions, but elaborations and clarifications of doctrines that were articulated in the patristic era. He concludes with a constructive (but too brief) Protestant theology of Mary, including the controversial claim that, in some senses, it is appropriate to consider Mary a "mediator." Thanks to Dan Brown and Elaine Pagels, many readers are interested in the women in Jesus' life. Although this book is too scholarly to attract a large following, Perry makes an important contribution to Catholic-evangelical dialogue. (Nov.)
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About this edition

• Publisher: IVP Academic
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 083082569X
• ISBN 13: 9780830825691
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 320