Marian Books  

Mary: God's Yes to Man

Introduction by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Commentary by Hans Urs von Balthasar . Pope John Paul II's only encyclical on our Blessed Mother, with introduction by the Cardinal Prefect of the congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, and commentary by one of the world's leading Catholic theologians, Hans Urs von Balthasar. The Church's supreme magisterium and representative of the Church's most penetrating theological reflection combine to provide for all the faithful a rich and concise compendium of the Mother of the Redeemer. The development of traditional Marian dogma in the light of the present day bears the Pope's unmistakable personal stamp. The three parts of the encyclical ("Mary in the Mystery of Christ", "The Mother of God in the Midst of the Pilgrim Church" and "Motherly Mediation") draw predominantly from two sources: Sacred Scripture and the central documents of the Second Vatican Council. There is a particular emphasis on ecumenism. What binds all Christians to Mary becomes ever clearer: she is the model of their faith. "Preparing for the advent of the year 2000, the great memorial of Christ's birth, is a fundamental concern of the encyclical. In the liturgy, Advent is a Marian time: the time when Mary made room in her womb for the Savior of the world and bore within her humanity's hope and expectation. Celebrating Advent means becoming Marian, imitating Mary's unconditional Yes which is ever anew the place of God's birth, the 'fullness of time'" " Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger '

Mary: The Church at the Source

Two great theologians endeavor to recover the centrality of Marian doctrine and devotion for the contemporary Church, offering a spiritually rich approach to Mariology that brings into new relief the Marian contours of ecclesial faith. Ratzinger and von Balthasar show that Mary is both the embodiment of the Church, and the mother who co-operates in giving birth to the Church in the souls of believers. ' At once profound and yet readily accessible, Mary: The Church at the Source offers a theologically balanced and biblically grounded presentation of traditional and contemporary thought on Marian doctrine and spirituality. ' '"This book contains a treasury of reflections on the meaning of Mary for the Church, theology, and indeed for anthropology generally. An indispensable source for anyone who would understand the Marian doctrine intended by the Council and in the pontificate of John Paul II"and now Benedict XVI." ' ' "David Schindler, Ph.D. ' Academic Dean, John Paul II Institute ' '"This marvelous book of theological meditations on Mary by the two most important Catholic theologians of the 20th century explains why Mary is such a peerless jewel set inside that wretched frame called human history. Because Mary is the very birthplace of the Church and thus the locus of all that gives us hope, our tainted and fallen race itself has hope." ' "Fr. Edward Oakes, S.J. ' Author, P attern of Redemption: The Theology of Hans Urs von Balthasar '' ' Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI , was for over two decades the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith under Pope John Paul II. He is a renowned theologian and author of numerous works. Learn more about Pope Benedict! Visit the Works of Benedict ''XVI ' ' ' Hans Urs von Balthasar (1905-1988) , a man of towering intellect and extraordinary culture and the author of vast theological works, is widely recognized as one of the most influential figures in theology from the 20th century to the present.' '