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The Real Mary: Why Evangelical Christians Can Embrace the Mother of Jesus

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In general, if you want to get Evangelical Protestants nervous, start talking positively about Mary. Not that they think Mary the mother of our Lord is a bad person or anything, but that they insist she needs to kept in her place - which usually is limited to a brief mention during the Christmas season. Even those who think that positive Scriptural role models for women are important would much rather talk about Ruth or Esther or anyone but the virgin who gave birth to the Savior. In their eyes, Mary is more a Catholic rather than a Biblical figure.

Scot McKnight thinks this sort of thinking is all wrong. While unabashedly Evangelical in outlook, he sees Mary as one of the most important figures in the New Testament. He also thinks the traditional thinking of Mary is highly skewed in both Catholic and Protestant traditions (admitting a level of ignorance on the delicate distinctions between the Catholic and Orthodox views of Mary - and preferrng that issue be handled by experts - he limits himself to the Western tradtiions). In The Real Mary he attempts to give a new view based upon the Scriptures of the New Testament and the cultural atmosphere of the world of Second Temple Judaism.

McKnight divides the book into three parts. The first and longest examines the evidence of Holy Scipture concerning Mary. In this section, the most important theme and one that is reinforced often is that the common picture of a passive Mary wiith Catholics seeing her as a blissful soul with an almost stoic acceptance of God's directives and Protestants looking at her as little more than an incubator for the Word made flesh are both entirely erroneous. McKnight points out that Mary was a forceful figure in the New Testament who knew the consequences of being an unwed mother in her world but consented in a supreme act of faith that was not only pious but corageous. This radical trusting of God shows forth in the Magnificat - a prayer that was both powerful and subversive of both both Herod and Rome's authority. This is not the "nice" Mary of Christmas cards but a woman who was strong and dangerous to those in positions of authority.

Throiughout her mention in the New Testament, Mary is a shown as a strong Jewish woman who was empowered by her radical faith she had in the God of Israel. She - like the Apostles - did not understand the fulfillment of Jesus' ministry would lead to the cross but, unlike all but John, she endured the unbearable pain of being at with Him there. She was present with Jesus' followers in the dark period after His burial and waited with hope following His ascension. She may have misunderstood some of Jesus' actions in His ministry and experienced total confusion at the point of his passion but the faith in God remained through these crises.

In the second part of the book, McKnight tackles the Mary of Church tradition. While taking the Evangelical position and thus disagreeing with the many beliefs Catholics (and often the Orthodox) hold about Mary, he does so in a fair manner. There is no "straw men" put forward and in opposing Catholic views on Mary he emphasizes Catholic doctrines do assume Mary's salvation was dependant upon God's grace and do not imply she was not in need of a Savior.

While the author meticulously and even-handedly examines these beliefs in light of Holy Scripture as interpreted through an Evangelical Protestant perspective, the weakness in this outlook is that the aforementioned perspective is almost entirely built upon modern historical-critical assumptions that have little in common with the exegetical assumptions employed by Jesus and the Apostles. Thus the typological and mystical interpretations given by the early Church (e.g., the remarkable similarities between the Ark of the Covenant coming to David and Mary coming to Elizabeth) are never addressed and the universally held opinion of all the early Church is ignored. Still, if one agrees with the Evangelical view, the discussion is remarkably free of polemic.

McKnight finishes with a discussion of how Evangelical Protestants can now fully embrace the "real Mary". Mary was one who had a deep personal faith in God that developed, gave her courage at points of great difficulty in her life and set an example of how such faith can change the world. In every way, from the moment Gabriel greeted her throughout her appearances in the Gospels and Acts she is the model for all women of faith and indeed is one whom every generation should call blessed.

While not agreeing entirely with everything in The Real Mary, Scot McKnight has paved the way for future development by Evangelicals so they no longer need be seen as running away from one of the most compelling of New Testament figures. It is a welcome addition to the surprising interest developing among Evangelicals in the Theotokos and will hopefully assist in overcoming the misunderstandings between faithful Christians of all traditions.

Scot McKnight accomplishes two good objectives with his latest book The Real Mary: Why Evangelical Christians Can Embrace the Mother of Jesus (Paraclete Press, 2006). First, as the subtitle suggests, Scot wants to take the jitters out of evangelicals who are jumpy about honoring Mary the Mother of Jesus. Some kind of anti-Catholic Protestant Reformation residue lingers on many of us and we find it hard to honor Mary because we might be mistaken for "worshiping" her. With a scholar's keen research, a pastor's concerned heart, and a writer's competent, engaging communication style, McKnight presents a down-to-earth, gospels-based Mary. Young Mary is a true, courageous human being surrendering to her part in the unfolding drama of God's story. Scot doesn't present a religious, stained-glass goddess, but a fiesty, gutsy, intelligent, deeply devoted woman who wrestles with the demands, responsibilities and heartaches of being the Mother of God-in-flesh. Second, Scot wants the Catholic readers of the book to assess where they may have gone too far in honoring Mary, not so much in practice as in theological pronouncements. This is done, once again, in plain, understandable language. Scot is fair because he shows that some Protestants have misunderstood some basic tenets of what Catholics believe about Mary. I was surprised by how many Protestant "greats" in church history believed in the perpetual virginity of Mary. On the more controversial theological issues, Scot offers in-depth chapters toward the end of the book. Scot "unpacks" Mary's Magnificat showing the deeply held convictions Mary had regarding God's redemptive work in the world. Scot converses about how much Mary influenced Jesus' own vision and mission of his ministry. The question whether or not Mary had other children is raised and dealt with in an irenic manner. Remember the scene in Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ when Jesus falls under the weight of the cross and Mary, his mother, has a flash-back to when Jesus was a little boy and fell while running? Remember how those scenes made Jesus seem more real, more truly human? The Real Mary does the same thing. Both Jesus and Mary are incarnate--flesh and blood human beings in a real mother and son relationship. After reading the book, I felt no urge to "worship" Mary, but I felt deeply challenged by her life of courage and devotion.

In the first chapter, Scot McKnight asks "Why a book on Mary?". One of the answers is because most Protestants haven't given much thought to Mary. He's describing me and this book was an excellent introduction to the subject of the Virgin Mary.

He covers the biblical texts referring to Mary and exegetically, doesn't really add much to the story. However, once he begins to draw out the implications and tie it into the historical background in which the Gospel story is located, he has some very excellent proposals that are plausible and tie in the Birth narratives to the rest of the Gospels story in the gospels and the epistles.

One primary example is his coverage of the Magnificat. He sees it as a very unsettling song and thought pattern that undermines the powers that be (Herod and Caesar). He gives the historical background for why. His suggestion dovetails nicely with other theologians' (N.T. Wright, Jaroslav Pelikan, etc) understanding as to why the Christian proclamation "Jesus is Lord" was a threat to to the Empire's proclamation "Caesar is Lord" and the resulting conflict between Christianity and the Empire. Each chapter has very suggestive proposals as to Mary's impact and influence on the early church. They are all plausible, but he leaves it to the reader to wrestle and decide.

His second great contribution is two chapters at the end concerning the Controversial Mary, the Mary seen by Catholics vis a vis Protestants. I am not very familiar with the true Catholic views on Mary. As a life-long Protestant, and for many years, a Fundamentalist, I have been conditioned to reject all things Catholic, especially its views on Mary. However, if McKnight is accurate in his representation of the Catholic position on Mary, then we should have a lot in common with the Catholic church on Mary. He does posit Protestant caution concerning some doctrines and leaves it up to you. He tries to be very fair in his representation of the Catholic position. He also tries to penetrate some individual Catholic overstatements and get to the published doctrine on the matter.

His last major contribution is an annotated bibliography on literature, especially Protestant literature, on Mary. He also interacts with much of it as well as Catholic literature. He provides a great introduction to other resources that go beyond this book to continue and deepen our study of Mary.

All in all, Mary is a neglected study for most Protestants. If McKnight is right about half of his proposals, and I think this is a very conservative estimate, I have robbed myself of a very vital resource in my understanding of the Gospels and early church history. I plan to correct this ASAP. I highly recommend this book.

Scot McKnight is a top-notch New Testament scholar who can write for non-specialists. The Real Mary shows, once again, why McKnight has a growing following among thinking Christians. This book looks carefully at the biblical picture of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and draws out implications for today. A must-read for anyone interested in Mary. (And, I might add, a fine Christmas present!)

This is an extremely good book for Protestant people. People need to realize and understand the value of Mary and see what a huge role she has played in the history of the Chrsitian Church. She was the Mother of Jesus....that alone should let you know that she has great importance. The author is very open-minded and extremely fair & balanced. He shows us the truth of the life of Mary and gives a great account of all views...Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox...and I like it because he gives you much to read and then lets you think about it and make your own decision. He does not try to force you to believe anything, but he gives you so much accurate information and impressive points of view. This was an excellent book.

Scott McKnight, a New Testament Scholar at North Park University, has the welcome gift of packaging sound Biblical Scholarship into conversational and readable language. He's the author of several popular books, most notably "The Jesus Creed." Scot is at it again with his 2006 release "The Real Mary: Why Evangelical Christians Can Embrace the Mother of Jesus."

The biblical Mary has been ignored in Evangelical circles largely because of the long-termed tensions between Protestants and Catholics; Mary's role has been the source of theological division between these two branches of Christianity. McKnight contents that this cold war is over and that it high time for Mary's story to be finally told in evangelical circles.

"The Real Mary" examines the life of the young, feisty woman who found herself caught up at the epicenter of God's redemptive efforts. McKnight makes a case that Mary was not only submissive before God, but that she was an intelligent, subversive, long-suffering, and deeply spiritual woman whose very life reeled under the weight of being mother to the Son of God.

One of the strengths of McKnight's approach is that he offers the readers an insight into the gradual and growing awareness that Mary had about who Jesus was. Mary's song in Luke 2 reveals that Mary understood that Jesus would be a revolutionary who would topple world kingdoms. However by the time Mary arrives at the temple she encounters Simeon who prophesies that Jesus would not only wear a crown but carry a cross, and Mary herself would be pierced with grief. McKnight traces Mary's efforts to follow her son's earthly carrier right up to his crucifixion.

"The Real Mary" is a gentle read. McKnight offers sound scholarship without saddling down the reader with technical language. He gives us an overview of the historic conflict over Mary, but then offers us a way to move forward with our understanding of Mary.

I found the "Real Mary" to be a readable book that provides the church with a model of faith and devotion. Perhaps more significantly, we are given an example a strong female leader. Dan Brown in his novels "Angels and Demons" and "Da Vinci Code" accuses the established church of devaluing women. To some extent his criticism is fair. "The Real Mary" reminds us that the Bible contains patriarchs and matriarchs. Embracing the historic Mary might be part of the tonic that allows us to correct past chauvinism in the church and to again become relevant to a world exploring feminine expressions of spirituality.

Scot McKnight gives many reasons why he should write a book about Mary but his reason that stuck with me the most is on page 6 "that she always leads us to Jesus. When we discover the real Mary, the one who lived in first-century Galilee with Joseph...who struggled at times herself, we also discover someone we can embrace because Mary embraced her son as we are called to do."

How much of what we have come to believe about Mary comes from our 21st century Americana picture of Mary rather than the first century reality and context of where she lived? I again saw the movie, "The Nativity" as I was reading, "The Real Mary," and I must say that both the movie and this book give us an idea about the struggles and challenges of Mary and Joseph within the first century that we hardly consider today. That is the real miracle of Christmas that Jesus ever made it to his birth with all of the cultural challenges that this couple faced. And then their fleeing as refugees to Egypt and hearing the echos of the screams of mothers and baby boys being killed by Herod's storm troopers in search of the boy King. Mary and Joseph's lives were filled with unbelievable challenge and struggle and yet she believed in what her Son had come to do.

I was deeply challenged by the 6th ministry themes of Jesus and the influence that Jesus would have learned from his mother regarding his mission. Page 104, " First, as Mary exclaimed,' holy is his name' so Jesus taught his followers to pray to the Father, 'hallowed (holy) be your name'. Second, as Mary gloried in the arrival of food, the relief of poverty, and the elavation of those oppressed when she proclaimed that, 'he has filled the hungry with good things,' so her son blessed the poor and fed the hungry. Third, as Mary saw God at work bringing, 'down rulers from their thrones,' so Jesus regularly had strong words with political and religious leaders about injustice and corruption. Fourth, as Mary knew the mercy of God for herself, for her relative Elizabeth, and for her people Israel, so Jesus became famous for his deeds of mercy and acts of compassion. Fifth, as Mary yearned for the redemption of Israel, like Simeon and Anna and all of the other Anawim (righteous poor), so Jesus' heart was broken over the condition of Israel, and he longed for it to return as a chicken brood to its mother. Finally, as Mary herself almost certainly became a widow, so Jesus himself regularly went out of his way to care for widows in their distress. " If Jesus is just like us, where would he have learned these things, if not from his mother?

This book gives us a clear picture of why we should honor Mary, why we should learn more about her and more importantly to us today, how does her life of challenge and struggle speak to us where we live today. I think, like to many evangelicals, I have skipped over the life of the mother of Jesus and have missed a great opportunity to learn modern day truths. With the reading of this book, I am changing that and maybe you will too.....

This book is for Evangelical Christians, but even more so I believe for Catholics. How sad that this first lady of the New Testament is seen as so far and above and beyond regular folks. Years ago I was driving home to Grand Rapids in the late afternoon amidst a blizzard. My mind was on the weather but even more so on my young adult son. He was screwing up his life so badly and I felt helpless in getting him to turn things around. As I drove east on highway 196 toward my exit on Fuller Avenue, I noticed up on the hill St. Isadore Catholic Church where there is a large statue of Mary holding young Jesus. I turned off the highway and circled around to the church. I climbed the steep hill as the snow swirled around me and I knelt in the snow weeping before the Virgin Mary. "You prayed to Mary?" asked an incredulous student who heard me tell this story. No, I wept in front of a statue, I said. I tried to make a case that it wasn't the same thing--thus sparing myself the terrors of hell! But Mary nevertheless was, to me, and awesome lady in whose presence--even in a statue--I was subdued. But Scot McKnight has made Mary approachable. His version of Mary is a lot more like me than is the statue. "Mary was not a 'nice' girl. If 'nice' means meek and mild and mind-you-own business, then Mary was not nice. In fact, Mary scared 'nice' passive girls because she was dangerously active. Instead of minding her own business, Mary was minding Herod's and, as we will see, Ceasar Augustus's. And well into Jesus' own ministry, we will see that Mary minded Jesus' business, too. . . . Mary was a muscular, wiry woman . . . whose body evoked a robust confidence in the God who was about to turn the world upside down through her son." (pp. 26-27) Mary was a feisty lady who would look good in my T-shirt with the words: "Well behaved women rarely make history." I think she would resonate with my own struggles with not being able to conform to the ideal of the "nice" girl ("My Calvin Seminary Story"). The Mary in McKnight's book is not some sort of postmodern Mary. She's the Mary that walks right out of the pages of Scripture. This book is a gem. Buy it, read it, pass it on to a friend.

Mary's sacrifice and life now have so much meaning to me. Not only do I recommend it I bought three copies to hand out to my friends. I understood Mary did not lead and easy life before after reading this book; I understand more of the reality of her life and the journey she embarked on. Mary's understanding grew as her relationship grew with her son & Messiah.

I purchased "The Real Mary" after reading the glowing reports given by the publisher, the book's endorsers, and reviewing purchasers. However, I cannot in good conscience give the book anything but a low grade primarily because it is simply 80+% educated speculation interspersed with maybe 20% Scripturally warranted information. McKnight reads far too much into the little told us in Holy Writ of the mother of Jesus. How she felt when she finally found him in the temple, various conclusions she drew and how she fretted and what she thought about certain events. Please - call it fiction if you want, but it certainly is not what I would call a scholarly exposition by any stretch. If you want to be tittilated, speculated upon, and led into fanciful "facts", read away. However, if you're looking for evidence of the "real Mary", save your money.