Customer Reviews

Mary: The Church at the Source

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This collection of essays serves as an excellent beginning for reflections on Mariology. Both Ratzinger and Balthasar are men of great intellectual prowess and thus address this subject astutely. They also approach it with a true desire for holy understanding of the place of Mary with respect to the Church and Catholic theology as a whole. While they do not touch on every aspect, they begin reflections that can bear much theological fruit.

The only reason that I give this 4 stars instead of 5 is the choice of a text by Balthasar that seeks to disprove Ratzinger's opinion which is expressed in an essay contained in the collected text, "Daughter Zion". While his argument is well placed, I don't think that it does well to combine such a text with a set of reflections by Ratzinger. This can strike at Ratzinger's credibility, even though the topic is somewhat disputable.

Nonetheless, I highly recommend this text to all readers. It is not utterly easy but is also not wholly esoteric. Therefore, it gives all who read it a chance to grow intellectually and, more importantly, in the Catholic faith.

Ably translated by Adrian Walker from the writings of Hans Urs von Balthasar and Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI), Mary: The Church At The Source is a modern documentation of the Church's perspective of Marian doctrine, enlightening the contours of ecclesial faith. Mary: The Church At The Source allows the reader to delve deeper into the depths of the Christian faith and what truths to their views of Mary as the co-operative mother of Church in the souls of its believers, and the embodiment of the Church itself. A highly recommended read, Mary: The Church At The Source is the perfect book for students of Marion theology be they clergy or laymen.

This interesting book takes on many aspects of Mariology and its place in the modern Church. The book is not a co-authored project nor a book-length argument, but is rather a collection of essays and sermons treating Mary and the Church. Pope Benedict's writings take up the first half, actually a little more, and Balthasar's the second. (Benedict's preface to John Paul's encyclical on Mary is included. Mary: God's Yes to Man : Pope John Paul II Encyclical Letter : Mother of the Redeemer) As may be expected of such a collection where different pieces are composed for different audiences, some are more esoteric than others and may not hold much interest the casual reader.

Obviously both writers are close and careful reasoners, and for the most part the clarity of their examinations does not seem to get lost in translation. I was especially impressed, sometimes even moved, by these insights; despite its disjointedness, this mixed bag was probably a more valuable read to me than John Paul's book. Topics include aspects of Mary's character that are meant to be paradigmatic for the Church, the value of Marian devotions and some means of reconciling them with modern worship, and the Church's anthropological role in history. I especially liked the last piece on the catholicity of the Church.

My guess is that this will be pretty strong meat for many readers, and that Scott Hahn's Hail Holy Queen would probably serve better as an introduction or a leisurely read. Hail, Holy Queen: The Mother of God in the Word of God If the subject is already a favorite for you, by all means read on. Lots of good stuff here.

Pope Benedict and Von Balthasar reach deep into Christian tradition to explore the deeper meaning of typology, and the story of Israel, the Church, and Mary, which turns out to be the same story.