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Catholic for a Reason #2
Catholic for a Reason II: Scripture and the Mystery of the Mother of God
Catholic for a Reason II explores the mystery of Mary, the Mother of God, through the personal study and reflection of nine well-known Catholics -- Scott Hahn, Jeff Cavins, Tim Gray, Curtis Martin, Kimberly Hahn, Edward Sri, Curtis Mitch, Sean Innerst, and Leon Suprenant. The result is a moving tribute and a convincing testimony that demolishes common misconceptions about Catholic teaching on the Virgin Mary. The truth is that Catholics do not worship Mary. Catholic teaching on Mary is scriptural. And the Rosary and other Marian prayers are not vain repetitions. You'll learn why the Catholic Church teaches that Mary was immaculately conceived, remained always a virgin, and was assumed body and soul into heaven. You'll understand how Mary is the fulfillment of Old Testament images. Most of all, you'll discover what it means to be a child of Mary in the Church. R. Daniel Conlon, D.D., J.C.D., Ph.D., Bishop of Steubenville. Authors Scott Hahn Curis Martin Curtis Mitch Tim Gray Edward Sri Leon Supernant, Jr. Kimberly Hahn Sean Innerst Jeffery Cavins
198 pages, Paperback
First published December 31, 1998
About the author
Leon J. Suprenant Jr.
15 books1 followerLeon Suprenant is the former president of Catholics United for the Faith. He now works for My Catholic Faith Delivered, a comprehensive, authentically Catholic, interactive online learning center based in the Kansas City area.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 20, 2012
The most interesting aspect of this book for me was the biblical citations, particularly the places where they tied Old Testament prophesy to the new Testament regarding Mary.
The intended audience?? Probably not Protestants, as for every citation which Catholics (in particular the authors; each chapter has a different writer) point to regarding Marian dogma will be refuted with a different verse. And devout Catholics won't need justification, although it might allow some the opportunity to contemplate / meditate / think on it.
I suspect the ideal audience could be those Catholics having doubts and looking for verses that will provide a base for the devotion to Mary that we were taught as children (or perhaps grew into over time later on).
Of course, with a multitude of authors, some chapters are better than others. BUT ... the chapters that were strongest for me might not resonate with another reader, and the ones that I found weakest might make a big impression on someone else!!
DISCLOSURE: I received this book via the Goodreads FirstReads program.
The intended audience?? Probably not Protestants, as for every citation which Catholics (in particular the authors; each chapter has a different writer) point to regarding Marian dogma will be refuted with a different verse. And devout Catholics won't need justification, although it might allow some the opportunity to contemplate / meditate / think on it.
I suspect the ideal audience could be those Catholics having doubts and looking for verses that will provide a base for the devotion to Mary that we were taught as children (or perhaps grew into over time later on).
Of course, with a multitude of authors, some chapters are better than others. BUT ... the chapters that were strongest for me might not resonate with another reader, and the ones that I found weakest might make a big impression on someone else!!
DISCLOSURE: I received this book via the Goodreads FirstReads program.
July 20, 2012
I liked some of the essays here more than others (to the point of eyes glazing over for a couple, and deciding that life is too short). However! I have a feeling that I may give those eye-glazers another chance at some point in the future.
I hadn't read Scott Hahn before. He and his wife, Kimberly Hahn, are former evangelicals converted to Catholicism, and in the first essay in the book, Scott Hahn describes how Mary was a stumbling block for him in becoming Catholic, and how he overcame that in part by praying the rosary. The essay reads like a pulpit testimonial, and it's both personal and universal, very well done, as are his other two essays in the book.
As I'm writing this, I realize that I liked the essays best that drew comparisons from Old Testament figures to Mary, and that showed how the writers came to their personal understanding of Mary. Not so much the essays working at proving something that's already infallible anyway.
The gospel reading last Sunday was Matthew 13, including "55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us?" - which struck me more than it might otherwise have, since I was reading this.
The explanations for this passage seem a little like insisting that the herd of striped equids in Africa are really black horses with white stripes painted on. Or possibly white horses with black stripes painted on. But certainly not zebras.
Thanks to firstreads for the chance to read these essays, most of which really were quite illuminating.
I hadn't read Scott Hahn before. He and his wife, Kimberly Hahn, are former evangelicals converted to Catholicism, and in the first essay in the book, Scott Hahn describes how Mary was a stumbling block for him in becoming Catholic, and how he overcame that in part by praying the rosary. The essay reads like a pulpit testimonial, and it's both personal and universal, very well done, as are his other two essays in the book.
As I'm writing this, I realize that I liked the essays best that drew comparisons from Old Testament figures to Mary, and that showed how the writers came to their personal understanding of Mary. Not so much the essays working at proving something that's already infallible anyway.
The gospel reading last Sunday was Matthew 13, including "55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us?" - which struck me more than it might otherwise have, since I was reading this.
The explanations for this passage seem a little like insisting that the herd of striped equids in Africa are really black horses with white stripes painted on. Or possibly white horses with black stripes painted on. But certainly not zebras.
Thanks to firstreads for the chance to read these essays, most of which really were quite illuminating.
October 29, 2018
This book might be interesting to Protestants, our that very rare animal, the Catholic theology nerd.For me it was tedious and wordy. It was overly technical and needlessly referenced.
This book was about Mary, and answers to common misconceptions and criticisms of her in Catholic teaching. With a subject that could be so interesting and filled with such love, I was mortified to find instead the same annoying religious buzzwords and archaic speech that makes me roll my eyes at evangelicals being used to justify dogma legalistically.
I was disappointed, and frankly, bored. Mary is far too interesting a person for this.
This book was about Mary, and answers to common misconceptions and criticisms of her in Catholic teaching. With a subject that could be so interesting and filled with such love, I was mortified to find instead the same annoying religious buzzwords and archaic speech that makes me roll my eyes at evangelicals being used to justify dogma legalistically.
I was disappointed, and frankly, bored. Mary is far too interesting a person for this.
October 31, 2009
Of the 11 chapters in this book I would only recommend 3 or 4. If one already holds the Catholic view of Mary maybe the other 7-8 chapters will increase ones understanding of who Mary is in the grand scheme of things, but I do not think they are convincing reasons to hold the Catholic position on Mary. I read this book previously and had a similar response, but thought that now that I was looking at it from a new perspective things might have been better, but they were not.
July 20, 2012
Won this off Goodreads. Raised a Baptist, and now a Catholic convert, this book, and I believe no book, will ever be able to justify the reason to pray to Mary for intercession, or raise her to the hieghts that Catholics do. The book posed great protestant questions but failed to ,ultimately, answer equally those questions with scripture and sound reason. Telling me a treatise from a Saint or what the Pope says etc.. is not sound reason to win me over to the Marian sewing circle.
January 27, 2013
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
This book had great mini-essays. Some of them were great and had engaging explanations about Marian devotion, while others seemed to stray off a bit and made me wonder why they were in a book about Mary. Overall, I think it gave a good look at why we as Catholics refer to Mary as our Mother and the Mother of God.
This book had great mini-essays. Some of them were great and had engaging explanations about Marian devotion, while others seemed to stray off a bit and made me wonder why they were in a book about Mary. Overall, I think it gave a good look at why we as Catholics refer to Mary as our Mother and the Mother of God.
Want to Read
December 26, 2009Listed by Patrick Madrid in the Reading Plan of Search and Rescue in Phase 2 (Intermediate).
March 6, 2013
Good book great content
September 13, 2024
THE SECOND VOLUME IN A FOUR-VOLUME APOLOGETICAL SERIES
This 2000 book is #2 in a series of four volumes; the others are: 'Catholic for a Reason: Scripture and the Mystery of the Family of God,' 'Catholic for a Reason III: Scripture and the Mystery of the Mass,' and 'Catholic for a Reason IV: Scripture and the Mystery of Marriage and Family Life.' Eleven essays from nine different authors (including Scott and Kimberly Hahn) are included.
Editor Leon Suprenant states, "The Church has traditionally understood Mary's virginity during birth as meaning that Jesus passed from His mother's womb into the light of day without the womb's being opened. In other words, Mary gave birth without the destruction of the physical signs of virginity possessed by one who is virgin in conception, and without labor pains and other infirmities (e.g., rupturing, bleeding, etc.) involved in childbearing after the fall. It was, in reality, a 'miraculous birth,' which relates more to her role in the new creation---and thus her Immaculate Conception and Assumption---rather than her virginity before and after." (Pg. 109)
He adds, "In fact, further examination of the texts alone reveals that at least some of these purported 'brothers' were NOT the children of Mary. Indeed, nowhere in Scripture is the Blessed Virgin Mary ever identified as the mother of anyone other than Jesus." (Pg. 113-114)
Kimberly Hahn recalls, "I continued to struggle with the repetitive nature of the Rosary (didn't Jesus condemn repetitive prayer as vain?) until I read an introduction to the Rosary by a nun. She asked the question, 'How many times a day might a young child run to you and say, 'Mommy, I love you!'?" (Pg. 143)
Jess Cavins states, "According to the popes, the Rosary is the most highly recommended prayer in the Catholic Church, second only to the liturgy. I think one of the reasons for this high recommendation is that it is a quick way for us to enter the world of Jesus and meditate on the most precious Gospels." (Pg. 186)
This is an excellent addition to this series, and will interest all students of Catholic apologetics and doctrine.
This 2000 book is #2 in a series of four volumes; the others are: 'Catholic for a Reason: Scripture and the Mystery of the Family of God,' 'Catholic for a Reason III: Scripture and the Mystery of the Mass,' and 'Catholic for a Reason IV: Scripture and the Mystery of Marriage and Family Life.' Eleven essays from nine different authors (including Scott and Kimberly Hahn) are included.
Editor Leon Suprenant states, "The Church has traditionally understood Mary's virginity during birth as meaning that Jesus passed from His mother's womb into the light of day without the womb's being opened. In other words, Mary gave birth without the destruction of the physical signs of virginity possessed by one who is virgin in conception, and without labor pains and other infirmities (e.g., rupturing, bleeding, etc.) involved in childbearing after the fall. It was, in reality, a 'miraculous birth,' which relates more to her role in the new creation---and thus her Immaculate Conception and Assumption---rather than her virginity before and after." (Pg. 109)
He adds, "In fact, further examination of the texts alone reveals that at least some of these purported 'brothers' were NOT the children of Mary. Indeed, nowhere in Scripture is the Blessed Virgin Mary ever identified as the mother of anyone other than Jesus." (Pg. 113-114)
Kimberly Hahn recalls, "I continued to struggle with the repetitive nature of the Rosary (didn't Jesus condemn repetitive prayer as vain?) until I read an introduction to the Rosary by a nun. She asked the question, 'How many times a day might a young child run to you and say, 'Mommy, I love you!'?" (Pg. 143)
Jess Cavins states, "According to the popes, the Rosary is the most highly recommended prayer in the Catholic Church, second only to the liturgy. I think one of the reasons for this high recommendation is that it is a quick way for us to enter the world of Jesus and meditate on the most precious Gospels." (Pg. 186)
This is an excellent addition to this series, and will interest all students of Catholic apologetics and doctrine.
May 10, 2020
I am shivering, over whelmed with joy and excitement in every progress I've made through reading this book. Such a Comprehensive study about our Mother of God, delivered with simple language.
Each writer, have their own uniques perspective and writing style, but reaching uniform common grounds.
Each writer, have their own uniques perspective and writing style, but reaching uniform common grounds.
May 4, 2014
Redundant in a lot of places, but overall a good book.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews