Mary for Evangelicals: Toward an Understanding of the Mother of Our Lord [Paperback]

Tim Perry (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 18, 2006

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.

Editorial Reviews

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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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 )

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: IVP Academic (October 18, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 083082569X
• ISBN-13: 978-0830825691
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,078,882 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The mother of us all, Catholic and Protestant?, February 17, 2008

By 

Stratiotes Doxha Theon "2 Thes 2:15" (Richmond, Missouri) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Mary for Evangelicals: Toward an Understanding of the Mother of Our Lord (Paperback)

The fact that this book was written at all makes it interesting. Dr. Perry, a Protestant, sets out to explain and even defend traditionally Catholic views of Mary. And why? He explains that we are fascinated with Mary because, "we are fascinated with Jesus. She directs the faith away from herself, always to her Son." Indeed, this is the precisely the point Catholic theologians have attempted to make for so long and, perhaps, one reason why Protestants and Catholics have found so little to share in common. Dr. Perry correctly identifies the close linkage between Marian and Christological doctrines.

Dr. Perry is to be commended for his commitment to understand and challenge his own assumptions in order to do so. The result is well-organized record of his studies and where those studies have led. His conclusions may seem not enough for some Catholics but shocking to some Protestants. Those who would argue his conclusions fall far too short may have a poor appreciation for how difficult these questions can be for a Protestant. Those who are shocked that he has concluded too much may need to pursue a similar study themselves to see if what Dr. Perry finds is not true. A good place to start would be Dr. Gamero's Mary and the Fathers of the Church: The Blessed Virgin Mary in Patristic Thought.

At times Dr. Perry seems to be riding the fence, at one point explaining how scripture must be interpreted always in light of the sacred tradition of the church - a bold admission for a Protestant to make. On the other hand, he keeps returning to the test of scripture alone as the test for orthodoxy - the more traditional Protestant stance. But even with such inconsistencies, Dr. Perry makes some rather startling (from a Protestant perspective) conclusions. And, what is more, those conclusions are backed up with solid exegesis that will likely make many squirm. Rather than give away what those conclusions are, I will refrain from further comment and leave it to your discovery. This book is like a good mystery, building the evidence all along but still keeping the end hidden to the last. At times you will think the conclusions will be in favor of one side then wonder if perhaps the evidence is leading to the other side. The writing style is clean and entertaining so that you will find it difficult to set aside.

In the process of his investigation, Dr. Perry has to lay out some ground rules for tradition, scripture, and doctrinal development. Those alone have serious implications in their admission from a Protestant and that alone gives the book its four stars. For more on these topics you may also want to see the work of another Evangelical Protestant, Dr. Willams, in Tradition, Scripture, and Interpretation: A Sourcebook of the Ancient Church (Evangelical Ressourcement: Ancient Sources for the Church's Future).

Dr. Perry's research recorded in this work will go far to raising the awareness of Protestants to their mother. Perhaps too, it will give Catholics a better understanding of the difficulties their Protestant friends may have with Mariology and, in the process, give them the tools they can use to share those doctrines without being threatening. Pope John Paul II stated on several occasions the importance of Mary in the unity of the Church. Dr. Perry seems to second that opinion. May it be that this is the crack that will begin the collapse of the wall that divides us. It is, at the very least, a step in the right direction to understanding.

2 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well reviewed in National Review, February 15, 2007

By 

jw (NY, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mary for Evangelicals: Toward an Understanding of the Mother of Our Lord (Paperback)

I defer to the excellent review of this book by Michael Potemra in the National Review, Decemeber 31, 2006 page 50.