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readingthroughthelists's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
The final entry in my Marian study of the past few months, Mary Through the Centuries chronicles the development of Catholic/Orthodox Marian doctrine, as well as Mary’s place in both Protestantism and Islam.
I appreciated the overview of Mariology in the Greek/Orthodox tradition (about which I know very little), and was fascinated to learn about Mary in the Qu’ran. But some of Pelikan’s other tangents felt much less relevant (the long description of Faust, for example) and his writing style is frequently dense and overly wordy.
Nevertheless, this is the book I would recommend to someone wanting to learn more of Mary in a non-didactic, scholarly manner. Pelikan makes no doctrinal assertions save that Mary is the woman with whom the world has grappled (and embraced) for the past 2000 years. I doubt anyone would dispute him on that point. What you believe from there is the work of God…and perhaps Mary herself.
I appreciated the overview of Mariology in the Greek/Orthodox tradition (about which I know very little), and was fascinated to learn about Mary in the Qu’ran. But some of Pelikan’s other tangents felt much less relevant (the long description of Faust, for example) and his writing style is frequently dense and overly wordy.
Nevertheless, this is the book I would recommend to someone wanting to learn more of Mary in a non-didactic, scholarly manner. Pelikan makes no doctrinal assertions save that Mary is the woman with whom the world has grappled (and embraced) for the past 2000 years. I doubt anyone would dispute him on that point. What you believe from there is the work of God…and perhaps Mary herself.
karschmidtholloway's review against another edition
3.0
A lot of very academic flowery language; wading through all that was a challenge. Half the time the syntax itself was beyond my comprehension, and I struggled to find the "thesis" in practically every chapter. Nevertheless it wasn't so bad that I gave up on it. I did finish it, but I don't know if I could tell you what the main idea was supposed to be.
poirotketchup's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating look at the way theology can develop through art prior to being articulated in argument.
honniker's review
I just couldn't do it. This book is not really for a layperson in my opinion. It's hard to follow the author's points and it is extremely dry. I got a few pages into chapter three and had to make a decision. Moving on.
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