Behold Your Mother: A Biblical and Historical Defense of the Marian Doctrines
From the cross Jesus gave us his mother to be our mother, too: a singularly holy model, consoler, and intercessor for our spiritual journey. Yet most Protestants—and too many Catholics—don’t understand the role that God wants her to play in our lives.
In Behold Your Mother, Tim Staples takes you through the Church’s teachings about the Blessed Virgin Mary, showing their firm Scriptural and historical roots and dismantling the objections of those who mistakenly believe that Mary competes for the attention due Christ alone.
Combining the best recent scholarship with a convert’s in-depth knowledge of the arguments, Staples has assembled the most thorough and useful Marian apologetic you’ll find anywhere.
He also shows how all the Marian doctrines are relevant—even essential—to a salvific faith in Jesus. From her divine maternity to her perpetual virginity, from her Immaculate Conception to her Assumption, the Church’s core teachings about Mary are intertwined with the mysteries of Christ. In a word, Mary matters.
Read Behold Your Mother and find out just how much.
"The greatest doctrinal obstacle to my return to the Catholic Church was fear that Catholics had no basis for—or boundaries on—the Marian dogmas. If only Tim Staples had written Behold Your Mother then! His presentation is fearless, precise, biblically wise, historically rooted, and popular in expression. He addresses objections I haven’t seen addressed elsewhere. I can’t think of a more insightful, comprehensive single volume that persuades so thoroughly. Great, truly great, piece of apologetics." —Al Kresta, president, Ave Maria Communications and host of Kresta in the Afternoon
"Tim Staples respectfully but clearly answers every conceivable Protestant objection to Mary, the Mother of God. With the street cred of one who has been there, Tim backs up his words with Scripture every time. His answers are exhaustive but not exhausting! An invaluable book for thoughtful, truth-seeking Christians." —Fr. Mitch Pacwa, S.J., EWTN host and author of Mary: Virgin, Mother, and Queen
"Tim Staples presents a remarkable defense of the six major Marian doctrines, including a veritable compendium of source material from the Bible, Fathers, and Church documents. He gives clear presentations of the controversial issues surrounding each doctrine, makes careful definitions and distinctions, and thinks his way through each issue as if he were having a conversation with the reader. Even well-informed readers will benefit from this engaging book." —Fr. Robert J. Spitzer, S.J., president, Magis Center of Reason and Faith