Truly Our Sister

by Elizabeth A. Johnson

Book Overview

The first century Jewish woman Miriam of Nazareth, mother of Jesus, proclaimed in faith to be Theokotos, the God-bearer, is the most celebrated female religious figure in the Christian tradition. So varied and manifold are the traditions about Mary, both popular and scholarly, that some would speak of 'Mary' as a collective noun or refer, in George Tavard's memorable title, to The Thousand Faces of the Virgin Mary. In her long awaited book, which...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0826414737
• ISBN13: 9780826414731
• Release Date: May 2003
• Publisher: Continuum
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 1.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.1" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Sister-Mother: A Protestant Review

I am, for better or worse, a Protestant. After praying the rosary for the first time with an ecumenically minded group of friends, I had a great opportunity to discuss with a Catholic friend the notion of praying to Mary and the communion of saints in general. She loaned me this book which, in all honesty, I've read about half of (I just don't have the time to finish it all). Elizabeth Johnson made Mary more accessible to me. That may be precisely the problem for more conservative Roman Catholics. Johnson uses biblical criticism and feminist theory to sift through Mary's portrayal in Scripture as well as in subsequent tradition. If you aren't open to the insights of feminist theory or biblical criticism then this probably isn't the best place to start your engagement with a Catholic Mary. If, however, you want to find a place for Mary in your own life and thought and are ready for some serious thought, read this book.

Empowerment through all of Mary's virtues

"Truly Our Sister," by Dr. Elizabeth Johnson received the Jerome Award form the Catholic Library association, the John Courtney Murray Award from the Catholic Theological Association, and the 2004 Book Award from the College Theology Society in 2004. Dr. Johnson was the first woman to receive tenure form Catholic University of America, and is currently Distinguished Professor of theology at Fordham University, and a sister of Saint Joseph. With such commendations, it appears that the consensus is the book is theologically sound, though it may challenge some preconceived notions. Dr. Johnson's book in no way denigrates the character of Mary the mother of Jesus, but instead seeks to articulate all of the virtues of Mary that we (and women in particular) can find in Mary as a role model. The "Our Sister" in the title is not intended as some claim to deny the fact that Mary was the mother of God and a role model for maternity, but refers to the fact that as Mary is also God's daughter, and through that aspect she is also our sister through religion. The title's use originates from quote by Pope Paul VI, and as such should not be considered "unorthodox." The book analyses the virtues that Mary demonstrated in her life, which offer hope and reassurance to particularly women (thought they should not be precluded from men) during daily struggles. Dr. Johnson pays special attention to the plight of oppressed women. In scripture, when the angel appeared to Mary, and asked her to do God's will, Mary said yes. When doing so, she did so without hesitation, and did not first seek the opinion of her male guardian, who during the time period would have had the ultimate legal custody of Mary's future, nor did she consult a rabbi. The implications of accepting God's will were that she may possible be bearing a child out of wedlock, which would have socially stigmatize her, and made her an outcast of society, but she had faith that God would provide. Mary's obedience to the will of God as a priority over concerns about the law of men was courageous and loyal. Her trust in God to protect her during her potential time of difficulty demonstrated exemplary faith, trust, and hope. This is the image of Mary that provides the most help and reassurance to the women interviewed by Dr. Johnson, during their times of ordeal, and hope during times that no physical assistance seems in sight for them. However, the image of Mary presented by Christianity focused on her obedience, meekness, and virginity. It did not stress that Mary's obedience was to God rather than to patriarchal institutions, and that her humility to God's will. Although it was a miracle for a virgin to give birth and that aspect of the story helps to demonstrate that Jesus was the Christ promised, virginity was not an uncommon characteristic of a young unmarried woman in Jesus' society. The image that a church dominated by men constructed of Mary as a role model, extols values that make it easy to subj

Mary's life enriched and expanded

Elizabeth Johnson is a theolgian much respected by her peers. She does not write theologically incorrect books. Her approach to Mary resonates with all women in a very positive way. In order to understand Mary one needs to understand not only the scriptural references but also the time and culture in which she lived. Each new presentation of her life enriches my understanding of her place in the history of the church. This books does all of this.

A stimulating revival of Mary?s image

In a previous book, ("She who is"), Elizabeth Johnson helped us gain some insight into the mystery of God seen from a feminist standpoint. She tried to emphasize the feminine in God. She focused on God as "Wisdom Spirit" which is perhaps the most abstract of our concepts of the Divine. In the present book, so to speak, she comes back down to earth by focusing on Mary, who was intimately linked to the Spirit and yet remains far more accessible to us humans. Mary can be named, and quite naturally be represented as a woman. She is a definitely more attractive, familiar and reassuring image than that of a spirit. The author goes, maybe with too much detail, into the historical and cultural contexts in which Mary spent her time on earth. She does that in order to show that Mary was a real woman, a real sister to the other women of this world. She rejects the usual image of Mary as the perfect icon because she finds it counterproductive. All the out-of-this-world privileges which are bestowed on her in the classical view, actually put her out of reach from other women. In the end, she has nothing left in common with the real women of this world. Elizabeth Johnson wants to convince that despite all that has been said, Mary remains within reach of her twenty first century sisters. That Mary was a very active, autonomous and responsible woman who can be and should be a real model for all the women of this world, because she actually was one of them. She lived and strived in a difficult male-oriented patriarchal society. She lived and acted in her own right, and not as someone who received her identity through a man from whom she should necessarily depend. This also holds true regarding the unique relationship that Mary enjoyed with the Divine. Elizabeth Johnson wants to demonstrate that Mary was not just a passive obedient tool in the hands of God, but an active, willing and determined participant in the history of God's self communication to humanity. When she was visited by the angel, she decided on her own to agree and to go along with God's project. And then, during all her life she remained consistent with this positive and responsible attitude. A lot of other interesting considerations are to be found all along this stimulating book, if the reader takes his or her time on the way.

We meet Miriam of Nazareth

As an RICA teacher I had been searching for the historical and cultural Miriam of Nazareth, Mary the mother of Jesus. In TRULY OUR SISTER, we learn about Miriam's probable village life in historical context. This book also describes how Miriam was mythologized over the centuries and was taken away from women as an unobtainable ideal. Solid Marian theology.