Hail, Holy Queen

Starred review from March 26, 2001
Roman Catholics have long had a reputation for their devotion to the woman known as the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Hahn, a convert to Catholicism, is uniquely qualified to both explain and justify the practice. A former Protestant minister who once condemned Marian piety as idolatrous, Hahn's theological writings (Rome Sweet Home; The Lamb's Supper) now illuminate his adopted faith for many a cradle Catholic. His treatment of the woman many consider the mother of God is accessible theology, written in the style of one who is skilled in making lofty ideas understandable and interesting. Using the Bible and scholarly sources, Hahn asserts that Mary was given by Christ to be the mother of all Christians, and that those who do not accept her as part of their family are woefully bereft. He goes on to trace the Church's high regard for Mary to the early days of Christianity, when, he writes, Mary was regarded as the "new Eve" and was identified with the "ark of the new covenant." Hahn also deals carefully with the Catholic Church's teaching on Mary's immaculate conception and assumption into heaven, and answers the objections of those who, as he once did, regard devotion to Mary as akin to goddess worship. Although he writes mainly to enlighten fellow Catholics about the basis for the Church's great reverence for Mary, Hahn's well-researched work will be instructive to anyone interested in the history of the Church's teaching on this subject. (Apr.)Forecast: Hahn's most recent book,
The Lamb's Supper, has sold more than 60,000 copies for Doubleday. Given the widespread interest in Mary among Catholics, this title should do even better.