Hail Mary?: The Struggle for Ultimate Womanhood in

by Mauri Hamington

Book Overview

Hail Mary? examines the sexist and misogynist themes that underlie the socially constructed religious imagery of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Maurice Hamington explores the sources for three prominent Marian images: Mary as the "the blessed Virgin," Mary, the "Mediatrix"; and Mary, "the second Eve." Hamington critiques these images for the valorization of sexist forces with the Catholic Church that serve to maintain...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0415913047
• ISBN13: 9780415913041
• Release Date: November 1995
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.7" x 8.4"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

A powerful analysis of Mary's relation to issues of gender.

This is an amazing book. I assign it to my Sociology of Religion classes. It is a powerful, critical look at Mary. Hamington takes us through the social construction of Mary and exposes the ways in which her image has affected our own understandings of gender and sexuality. It is scholarly and yet accessible. Hamington looks at the patriarchal underpinnings of Mary's image and how this image has been used against women over the centuries, stigmatizing their natural sexuality and mothering capabilities. Read this book! Assign it to your students! It is the best on the subject!