Mary, Founder of Christianity

Mother Mary’s contributions to the establishment of Christianity are brought to the fore in this provocative treatise by Maunder (The Oxford Handbook of Mary), a theology and religious studies fellow at York St. John University. Drawing on the gospels, early Christian historians, and contemporary theologians, Maunder argues that patriarchal readings of scripture have obscured the fact that Mary “has an even greater claim than Jesus to be the founder of what we understand as Christianity.” Maunder applies a nonliteral interpretation, asserting that Mary “was not a virgin in the physical sense” but metaphorically, which acts as a signifier of her “innocence and youth.” The author highlights Mary’s “considerable influence in Jesus’ ministry” and her active role in the Annunciation to suggest that her vision of “Messianic leadership”—ministering to the poor and oppressed, giving followers purpose, living as a “Suffering Servant”—profoundly shaped Jesus. Maunder has done his research, but lengthy digressions on Jesus’s opposition to violence and hesitancy to minister to Gentiles add little to the author’s arguments about Mary. Even those who disagree with Maunder’s unorthodox biblical readings will acknowledge the boldness and originality of what’s on offer. (Apr.)