The Cult of the Virgin Mary: Psychological Origins

(Paperback)

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Tracing devotion to Mary to psychological and historical processes that began in the fifth century, Carroll answers questions about why Mary is both "Virgin" and "Mother" simultaneously, why Marian apparitions have been reported over the centuries, and more. 12 tables.

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"The contention is made that at the root of the Marian cult is the poverty-created father-ineffective family, a family structure in which Oedipal desires in both sons and daughters are intensified... [A] fascinating and provocative read."--Elizabeth A. Johnson, Journal of Church and State "[Recommended] not only for the wealth of information and the carefully wrought argument that it presents, but also for its potential utility in destroying or at least casting doubt on the idols that prevent us from seeing more clearly and more insightfully the bases of faith and theological conviction."--W. W. Meissner, S.J., M.D., Theological Studies