Strange Heaven - The Virgin Mary as Woman, Mother, Disciple and Advocate (Hardcover)

Richly detailed, carefully researched, and imbued with spiritual sensitivity, this study of Mary, the mother of Jesus, delves into the mystery and history surrounding her life and legend. Sweeney includes a wealth of information about the sightings, life, and stories of the Virgin Mary, and explores the many meanings of the blessed mother's life and the celebration of her legacy throughout the ages and around the world. Strange Heaven explores: - The Virgin Mary and the Gospels - Mary, the mother of Jesus in the Epistles of St. Paul - The Blessed Mother in the Gnostic Gospels - Difficult Dogma, Including the Assumption and the Immaculate Conception - Feasts, Titles and Spiritual Practices of the Virgin Mary Praise for Strange Heaven "A rich resource of information, insights and beauty . . . Both critical and reverential, Sweeney offers tribute to a young woman of courage who became Mother of the Lord and then herself an icon for unending prayers of intercession, consolation and thanksgiving." - Bishop Frederick Borsch, Professor of New Testament and Chair of Anglican Studies, Lutheran Theological Seminary "It is incumbent upon us to meditate on the mystery of the feminine, a mystery embodied so powerfully in Mary, a mystery articulated so eloquently in the pages of this book." - Prof. Ron Miller, author, The Gospel of Thomas: A Guidebook for Spiritual Practice "Reminds us that the powerful love of Mother Mary is not a theory, but a very real presence in our lives." - August Gold, senior minister of the Sacred Center for Spiritual Living in New York City; author, Where Does God Live? and Will God Forgive Me? "Hugely yet concisely informative, Strange Heaven is an elegantly presented overview of the Mother of God's role in the lives of churches, theologians, saints, artists, mythologists and lay devotees." - Jonathan Montaldo, former Director of the Thomas Merton Center; editor, Bridges to Contemplative Living with Thomas Merton Visit Jon Sweeney's blog at www.jonmsweeney.wordpress.com.