As a peritus at Vatican II and by the end of his life arguably the world's leading Mariologist, René Laurentin has earned the privilege of republication of a work of considerable value for any theologian who aims for comprehensiveness of Catholic theological perspective, historically and systematically. Laurentin's orthodox, yet highly original treatment displays his command of all of the relevant biblical, patristic, medieval and modern texts up to and including the entire proceedings of the Second Vatican Council, as well as the whole range of related historical and theological scholarship. His proposal to pursue Mariological speculation along two tracks - first, "from above," following the course of doctrinal development from biblical revelation to the VCII era, and second, "from below," considering Mary's own life (walking in her footsteps, as it were), from before the Annunciation to the Parousia - provides a clear, accessible structure for the work, yielding rich theological and spiritual fruit. Not only are all the major Marian doctrines and their developments handled with the greatest sensitivity, from the Virgin birth to the modern promulgations of Immaculate Conception and Assumption, but Laurentin's approach in his second part opens the way to a human-psychological treatment of motherhood, still solidly bolstered by traditional Christian anthropology. Regarding Mary's status as Mother of God, Laurentin's discussion of the Theotokos exhibits his deep ecumenical commitments, as much as his specific attention to Mary's soteriological role as a sticking point for Protestantism. One of the most striking qualities of the work is Laurentin's deft integration of his evident scholastic formation into an overarching vision thoroughly at ease with the phenomenological ("personalist") and existential currents in which he also inevitably swam throughout his education and professional scholarly occupation. As a result, the work can be read and appreciated instinctively, as it were, as much by the eclectic contemporary theologian, influenced by the likes of Heidegger, et al, as by the Thomist.

The Church’s Marian beliefs have constantly shed light on other teachings, and the Theology of the Body is no exception. In this compilation of essays, some of the world’s most foremost Mariologists and experts on the Theology of the Body share their insights on how Mary illuminates the message of the Theology of the Body in a profound way. As the Mother of God, Mary provided Jesus with His body, a body that would be offered on the cross for our redemption. She bore witness to His bodily resurrection and ascension, and she herself was assumed bodily into heaven. Through an understanding of Mary’s role in salvation history, we are able to see more clearly our personal roles in the Christian life. In this book you will learn about: ● The nuptial meaning of the body in the marriage of Joseph and Mary ● The Immaculate Conception and the human person ● The significance of Mary as virgin and mother ● The Virgin Mary and the culture of life ● The image of God in the image of Mary as model Christian

A convincing and cogent argument refuting the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in Church dogma and revealing the true father of Jesus • Provides historical and archaeological evidence of a tomb of the Virgin Mary • Introduces the theory that Jesus's father was Antipater, son of Herod What became of the Virgin Mary after the Crucifixion is one of the greatest mysteries of the Bible. Although it appears nowhere in the Bible, the belief in the Assumption-Mary's bodily ascension into heaven-is accepted by many Christians as historical fact. Some, however, believe that Mary died naturally and was buried in a tomb in Jerusalem's Valley of Jehosaphat. Others say that her final resting place was in the Roman ruins of Ephesus in Asia Minor. In 1950 Giovanni Benedetti, an archaeologist attached to the Vatican museum, found a fourth-century manuscript indicating that Mary had been smuggled out of Palestine to an island off the west coast of Britain. According to Benedetti's findings, England's first Bishop, St. Augustine, discovered Mary's tomb there in A.D. 597. The reigning pope, Gregory the Great, forbade St. Augustine to speak of this, initiating a conspiracy of silence that lasted 1,400 years. Similarly, as Benedetti was about to publish his findings, he was instructed by the Vatican to discontinue his research. Soon after, the Roman Catholic Church declared the Assumption dogma. In The Virgin Mary Conspiracy Graham Phillips unravels the truth behind this centuries-old ecclesiastical cover-up and discovers what may be Mary's final resting place. During his extensive research Phillips also discovered another controversial theory revealing that Jesus was the son of Antipater, the son of Herod, and therefore the true heir to Herod's throne, thus explaining his title of "King of the Jews."

This book describes the evolution of Marian thought from early Christianity to the present day. Covering the various Christian denominations, as well as the Islamic Mary, it considers medieval and renaissance doctrine and representations of Mary, as well as her involvement in debates over the Virginal body, race, anti-Semitism, and globalism.

This new Pillar volume offers exceptional commentary on Mark that clearly shows the second Gospel — though it was a product of the earliest Christian community — to be both relevant and sorely needed in today's church. Written by a biblical scholar who has devoted thirty years to the study of the second Gospel, this commentary aims primarily to interpret the Gosepl of Mark according to its theological intentions and purposes, especially as they relate to the life and ministry of Jesus and the call to faith and discipleship. Unique features of James Edwards's approach include clear descriptions of key terms used by Mark and revealing discussion of the Gospel's literary features, including Mark's use of the "sandwich" technique and of imagistic motifs and irony. Edwards also proposes a new paradigm for interpreting the difficult "Little Apocalypse" of chapter 13, and he argues for a new understanding of Mark's controversial ending.