Hail, Holy Queen

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Summary: Where Was This Book 10 Years Ago?
Review: "Where was this book 10 years ago?" That was my question as I read Hail Holy Queen, a delightful, insightful new book by Dr. Scott Hahn. Though I had been raised Catholic, I had always felt closer to Jesus than to his Mother. In fact, I feared that paying attention to Mary would detract from my relationship with the Lord. I was especially turned off by what I considered excessively pietistic expressions of devotion to Mary. Bottom line? I was a capable adult who thought I didn't need a mother. Over time, I realized my error and have since come to a much deeper understanding and love for the Blessed Mother. But I really could have used Hail, Holy Queen back then.

Hail, Holy Queen clearly and simply answers my former objections to Mary and many others. And Hahn's scriptural exegesis has also provided me with new, rich food for thought. I especially appreciated his explanations of Mary as the New Eve and as the Queen Mother, and of her God-given role in salvation history.

Though another reviewer chides Hahn for a supposed "lack of reverence" in his pun-filled subheads, I saw them as a humorous yet respectful way of helping his readers remember the important lessons in the book. (I also have it on the best authority that "Mary Had a Little Man" was a publisher error that will be corrected to "Mary Had a Little Lamb" in the next printing.) His puns, along with his highly readable style, make this THE book for anyone with questions about Mary or a desire to learn more about Our Lady. Thank you, Dr. Hahn, for making such essential theological and scriptural truths accessible to the masses!

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Summary: Why we call Mary our Queen
Review: On his journey to the Catholic Church, Scott Hahn found the Catholic Marian doctrines -- her perpetual virginity, the Immaculate Conception, and the Assumption -- to be major stumbling blocks. This book is an explantion of these doctrines, as well as the general Catholic sense of who Mary is. The road that Hahn takes in explaining Mary is known as "typology," that is, reading Scripture to see how the New Covenant is foreshadowed in the Old. Hahn focuses on three "types" of Mary: the new Eve, the Ark of the New Covenant, and the new Davidic Queen Mother. It's an intricate working of themes, particularly for such a brief book (175 pages of text, plus many more of Sources and References). Hahn does a marvelous job exploring the richness of Marian doctrines, pulling his evidence from both Old and New Testaments, as well as patristic sources. In the process, he ably demonstrates how Marian doctrines "fit" with the logic of salvation as God has revealed it to us, and how they are not, as many Protestants claim, contrary to Scripture in the least.

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Summary: Discover Mary's inegral role in God's plan and scripture
Review: Scott Hahn demonstrates how all Christians can discover Mary's central role in the New Testament's redemptive message. The reader is guided through a close examination of the Bible, and is introduced to the works of both Catholic and Protestant scholars and clergy, to bring to light the small but significant details showing the integral role of Mary in God's plan since creation.

Beginning in the book of Genesis, Hahn examines in detail three Old Testament typologies which foreshadow the person of Mary: Eve, the Ark of the Covenant, and the Queen Mother of Israel's monarchy. He then ties these typologies into Mary as she is revealed in the gospels and as she appears in John's Revelation.

Building on these scriptural and historical foundations, Hahn presents a new look at the Marian doctrines: her immaculate conception, perpetual virginity, assumption and coronation. As he guides modern readers through passages filled with mysteries and poetry, Hahn helps us redisocver the ancient art and science of reading Scripture. I gained a more profound understanding of the truthfulness of God's Word and Christ's Church, and their relevance to living out my faith as a catholic christian in our contemporary world.

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful
Review: Using types(somewhat of a foreshadow)throughout the Old Testament, Scott Hahn attempts and does well in proving almost all the Catholic teachings on Mary and why she deserves our veneration. This is great for all Catholics and Protestants who wonder what the whole deal with Catholics honoring Mary so much is all about.