Customer Reviews

All Generations Shall call me Blessed: Biblical Mariology (Studies and Texts - No. 3)

5 star:		(3)
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This is an EXCELLENT book. I highly recommend it. It takes you step by step through virtually every bible verse that directly applies to the Blessed Virgin and explains the meaning. If you are a Catholic trying to learn more about Mary or a Protestant trying to understand the truth about what Catholics really believe regarding the Mother of God, get this book. You will not regret it!

Fr. Manelli's book is an excellant tool to have in ones hands in order to learn the biblical basis of Marian theology & spirituality. This is a must have to use as a textbook for those who may teach Mariology. It is concise, thorough and easy to read. It is well documented for further reading. Fr. Manelli puts to flight those errors in biblical Mariology, by interpreting Sacred Scripture according to the way the Catholic Church has spelled out in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Thank you Fr. Manelli!! We need more biblical scholars like you who have a TRUE devotion to the Blessed Mother.

Do you have trouble understanding the Catholic Church's understanding of Mary? Are you looking for the Scriptural basis behind Catholic teaching and doctrine concerning Mary? Then this is the book for you.

Fr. Stefano Manelli presents a thorough explanation of Marian doctrine in light of Old and New Testament. He addresses the common misconceptions about Marian devotion and defines those terms that are largely misunderstood, such as Mediatrix and Immaculate.

Translated from the Italian the book is a must for anyone studying Biblical Mariology.

Manelli's work 'All Generations Will Call Me Blessed: Biblical Mariology' is a wonderful resource for Catholics. In every way, I recommend it even over Scott Hahn's book, 'Hail Holy Queen'. Manelli provides a careful overview of every significant passage of scripture concerning the Virgin Mary. Often apologetically useful, it supplies Catholics with ammunition in defense of their faith against Protestant arguments. However, despite its overall achievements, this work falls short of a perfect rating because it sometimes omits relevant material, is lacking in originality, and, by citing other authors too frequently, is not as readable as it could have been.

The work itself is the translation of an Italian original, 'Mariologia Biblica', published in 1989. With almost 400 pages of material, this work is a commentary on every major Marian passage in the Bible. Methodologically, this book uniquely blends historical-critical exegesis with reverential exposition. Consistently upholding traditional and authentically Catholic positions, Manelli nevertheless draws upon some of the best insights offered by Catholic biblical scholars.

Part I treats the Old Testament and covers the protoevangelium of Genesis 3, the Virgin Mother in Isaiah 7, and other passages. Manelli defends the Marian reading of Isaiah 7 and Genesis 3, and he does so admirably. Mary's place in the liturgy is also discussed in Part I.

Part II is devoted to the New Testament. The infancy narratives are discussed in detail. The commentary on St. Luke's portrayal of Mary is especially valuable. Each text is handled reverentially, by which I mean that it is interpreted in a way which conforms to Church doctrine and gives proper honor to the subjects discussed. Manelli for example refers to the Blessed Virgin in a very dignified manner, often calling her 'Mary most holy,' or employing similar titles. By contrast, other books on the Virgin Mary are sometimes lacking in due reverence (e.g., Scott Hahn's work 'Hail Holy Queen', a work with similar aims). The result is a treasury of exegetical material about the Virgin Mary. Consequently, this book is a rich source of material for one's mental prayer. It exhibits a rare combination of scripture scholarship and devotional flare.

However, the book is not without its flaws. First of all, it is lacking in originality. The author almost never goes beyond presenting the views of other scholars. Thus, for example, this book is really a synthesis of the teachings of other mariologists, especially Laurentin, Roschini, and de la Potterie. This in itself is not condemning, but the way in which Manelli incorporates the material of other authors is not always integrative. That is, rather than summarizing their conclusions in his own words, he simply quotes them at length. The result is a book lacking a consistent literary style. And that makes it difficult to read.

Moreover, there is a surprising omission in this book. Manelli consistently comments on every text which historically has caused trouble for Catholic exegetes. Nevertheless he inexplicably fails to discuss the phrase "opens the womb" in Luke 2.23, a text which Protestants argue is not compatible with Mary's perpetual virginity. Such an oversight, in a book of this nature, cannot be overlooked.

Despite these minor flaws, Manelli's book remains one of the best available on biblical mariology. For those readers who can handle reading almost 400 pages of biblical commentary, I recommend it over many more popular works. In conclusion, one might bring out the strengths of this book by comparing it with two books with similar aims. As I have indicated, in comparison with Hahn's 'Hail Holy Queen', Manelli's book is more reverent and more academically rigorous. In comparison with McHugh's 'The Mother of Jesus in the New Testament', Manelli is less original and not as easy to read, but his positions more naturally conform to traditional Catholic exegesis.

I heartily recommend this book for all Catholics.

This book is to the Roman Catholic Church's Marian doctrines what "Jesus, Peter, and the Keys" is to the Papacy - a complete, intelligent, and relatively readable study of the doctrines based on the Holy Scriptures. It is valuable for the apologist, theology student, or anyone who just wants a good, firm understanding of what we believe about Mary and why.

The chapters are relatively small, with each one addressing a specific appearance of Mary in the Holy Scriptures. This makes the book an excellent reference guide.

I have no reservations about giving this book a full five stars. It is well worth the money and time spent on it.