Mary: A History of Doctrine and Devotion

Hilda Graef provides an essential history of the many and often exaggerated beliefs about Mary that have developed over the last 2 millennia. She critically evaluates the sources and points out many of the unbalanced distortions and their sources, rather than simply accepting pious fictions about Mary that unfortunately have been perpetuated in both East (originally) and West. Sacred Scripture says very little about Mary, yet what is contained in Scripture can and should serve as the basis for any legitimate devotion to Mary among Christians, not private revelations or dubious apparitions. A must read for any of the denominations.

Graef's recount of the development of Marian devotion gives me an overview of a wide scope of literature from bible time till modern time. I am only half way through the book but so far I can sense that she is taking a rather neutral position. It is a very good source for beginners like me who want to take a further look at the matter but don't know where to start. Above all, it's easy to read so I would recommend it for people who are new to this topic but want some serious study in this matter.

Graef's classic and clinical compendium of the Virgin Mary's place throughout Christian history has been updated for the post-Vatican II set and remains a probably indispensable reference-work for any extensive Christian scholarly library and certainly any Marian library. The work is, however, obsolete in many respects. So many advances had been made in Marian scholarship since the late-1970s, particularly in terms of the determinative Byzantine contribution to Mary's theological/devotional trajectory, that it is time for a new treatment that seeks to provide the same rudimentary "completeness" that Graef's fine work once boasted. Until such a work arrives, this is a handy thing to have around, despite it's dated qualities.