Since the Council of Ephesus (431 A.D.), orthodox Christianity has confessed Mary as "theotokos," Mother of God. Yet neither this title nor Mary's significance has fared well in Protestant Christianity. The Reformation so harshly attacked the abuses surrounding the cult of Mary in late-medieval Catholicism that even her place in the Gospel account of salvation and Christian theology was diminished.

In the wake of new interest in Mary following Vatican II and recent ecumenical dialogues, this volume seeks to makes clear that Mariology is properly related to Christ and his church in ways that can and should be meaningful for all Christians. Written with insight and sensitivity by Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant scholars, these seven studies inquire into Mary's place in the story of salvation, personal devotion, and public worship. Read together, they demonstrate that a renewed affirmation of Mary is scripturally based, evangelically motivated, liturgically appropriate, and ecumenically fruitful.

This polyphonic meditation on the dogma, person, and role of Mary shows that it is possible in the Orthodox, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Baptist traditions to see her as a unifying figure who brings their often discordant voices to harmony. An excellent contribution to the ecumenical dialogue on Christ and his mother.
-- George H. Tavard
Methodist Theological School in Ohio