Mary, Founder of Christianity
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- $19.99
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- $19.99
Publisher Description
A radical reassessment of the role of Mary the mother of Jesus and other women in the early Church
Despite the commonly held assumption that the Bible says little about the mother of Jesus, there are many indications that Mary preceded and inspired her son in fostering the emergence of a new faith community. In the Gospel of John, Mary instigates Jesus’ first miracle, and in all four gospels she is present at the crucifixion, suggesting hers was a place of unparalleled importance in the Christian story.
Setting aside presuppositions based on doctrine, Chris Maunder returns to the New Testament to answer the question ‘Who was Mary?’ He re-examines the virgin conception of Jesus, Mary’s contribution to Jesus’ ministry, and her central role in the events of the crucifixion and the resurrection. In so doing, Maunder casts a thought-provoking new light on Mary and the women, including Mary Magdalene, who stood alongside her.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Mother Mary's contributions to the establishment of Christianity are brought to the fore in this provocative treatise by Maunder (The Oxford Handbook of Mary), a theology and religious studies fellow at York St. John University. Drawing on the gospels, early Christian historians, and contemporary theologians, Maunder argues that patriarchal readings of scripture have obscured the fact that Mary "has an even greater claim than Jesus to be the founder of what we understand as Christianity." Maunder applies a nonliteral interpretation, asserting that Mary "was not a virgin in the physical sense" but metaphorically, which acts as a signifier of her "innocence and youth." The author highlights Mary's "considerable influence in Jesus' ministry" and her active role in the Annunciation to suggest that her vision of "Messianic leadership"—ministering to the poor and oppressed, giving followers purpose, living as a "Suffering Servant"—profoundly shaped Jesus. Maunder has done his research, but lengthy digressions on Jesus's opposition to violence and hesitancy to minister to Gentiles add little to the author's arguments about Mary. Even those who disagree with Maunder's unorthodox biblical readings will acknowledge the boldness and originality of what's on offer.
