Medieval Christianity: Mary

Fr.Gambero presents the thoughts,words,and prayers of great theologians,bishops,monks,and mystics who wotnessed to and promoted the dedication of the Christian people to the Mother of God.The chronological presentation allows the reader to trace the development of important doctrines such as the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption.At the same time ,the book offers portraits of the individuals who left us this rich inheritance.Each chapter concludes with readings from the works of these important authors.Many of these texts have never before been translated into English.More than thirty great figures each receive an entire chapter,including such giants as the Venerable Bede,Alcuin,St.Anselm,St.Bernard of Clairvaux,St.Anthony of Padua,St.Bonaventure, St.Albert the Great, St.Thomas Aquinas,St.Brifget of Sweeden,and Raymond Lull.-Back cover.

"This book investigates perceptions of the Virgin Mary through several centuries of literature. Focusing especially on the depictions of the Virgin Mary in medieval and Renaissance manuscripts, the author rediscovers a time when the Divine Female was very much in evidence, and good Christian women were taught to pray to a Holy Mother"--Provided by publisher.

"Through an insightful examination of popular sermons by some of the most famous preachers of the day, Donna Spivey Ellington discusses the importance of Marian devotion to the religious understanding of European Christians in the late medieval and early modern periods. She charts a dramatic shift of emphasis in the public portrayal of the Virgin Mary from the fifteenth through seventeenth centuries. As Europe experienced the impact of printing and increased literacy, the Protestant Reformation, the growing development of individualism and a private sense of self, and changing attitudes to women, Marian devotion was also transformed. The Church's portrait of the Virgin gradually became focused less on her body and more on her soul." "This book unlocks the complex structure of late medieval piety and opens doors to understanding early modern Catholic spirituality. It will be of interest to readers exploring Marian devotion, late medieval and early modern religious life, or literacy theory."--Jacket.

"Chosen among Women: Mary and Fatima in Medieval Christianity and Shi'ite Islam combines historical analysis with the tools of gender studies and religious studies to compare the roles of the Virgin Mary in medieval Christianity with those of Fatima, daughter of the prophet Muhammad, in Shi'ite Islam. The book explores the proliferation of Marian imagery in late antiquity through the writings of church fathers and in popular hagiography. It examines how Merovingian authors assimilated powerful queens and abbesses to a Marian prototype to articulate their political significance and, at the same time, censure holy women's public appeal. Mary Thurlkill focuses equally on the importance of Fatima in the evolution of Shi'ite identity throughout the Middle East. She examines how scholars such as Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi advertised Fatima as a symbol of the Shi'ite holy family and its glorified status in paradise, while simultaneously binding her as a mother to the domestic sphere and patriarchal authority." "This important comparative look at feminine ideals in both Shi'ite Islam and medieval Christianity is of relevance and value in the modern world. It will be welcomed by scholars and students of Islam, comparative religion, medieval Christianity, and gender studies."--Jacket.

"Stories of the Rose presents a compelling and readable history of the rosary in its formative years. It explores the many spiritual, literary, and artistic dimensions of the rosary and explains how and why it became so popular on the eve of the Protestant Reformation."