Once you begin to see Mary through ancient Jewish eyes, you realize she is not just the mother of Jesus. In Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary, I tried to bring both of these together and show that the key to understanding Catholic beliefs about Mary is to look at what the New Testament says in the light of the Old Testament and ancient Jewish tradition.
Over and over again, Catholic books on Mary-of which there are very many-focus on the later Church teachings without ever connecting those teachings to the Bible as a whole. Likewise, many Catholics are familiar with what the Church teaches about Mary-for example, that she was sinless, that she remained a virgin her whole life, that she was assumed into heaven-but they aren’t sure where those doctrines come from in the Bible. Over and over again, Protestant books on Mary-of which there are very few-ignore the Old Testament background of Mary’s portrait in the New Testament. Pitre: In my experience, many Protestants are familiar with what the New Testament says about Mary, but they are unfamiliar with how Mary is prefigured in the Old Testament. In that context comes my first question: Would you say that your interpretation of Scripture is largely up for debate? Or is this simply a careful reading with clear conclusions that just haven’t made it into mainstream Catholic awareness (or have been lost to it)?
I’d like to start our conversation echoing something you say in the book: How is it possible I didn’t know so much of this stuff!?
In 240 pages, Professor Pitre offers an easy-to-undersand style that more than once will have readers saying, “Wow! But, how did I not know that?”Īleteia asked Pitre about a few of the sections we found most compelling (and we think this book is a must-have for the coming season!). Many people recognize that a sure path to falling more in love with Jesus is falling in love with his Mother.Īnd the sure path to falling in love with Mary is getting to know her there are few tools better for that than a recently released book from Penguin Random House by Brant Pitre: Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary.
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