Mary: A History of Doctrine and Devotion

In this classic text in the field of Marian scholarship, Hilda Graef provides a look at the place of Mary in the Church, and a chronological overview of the history of Marian studies. This revised and updated edition of Mary: A History of Doctrine and Devotion now features an extended final chapter and new introduction by Thomas A. Thompson, S.M., director of the Marian Library at the University of Dayton. This book is a must-have reference resource for Marian scholars and for lay readers curious about Mary's place in scripture and Church history.

Endorsements: "Hilda Graef's survey of Marian doctrine and devotion has near classic status. It is a great gift for all students of theology to have this estimable volume back in print with its much-needed and much-appreciated updating to bring it up to our contemporary period."
Lawrence S. Cunningham
University of Notre Dame

"Hilda Graef's classic work is the best source for the state of Marian studies at the time of the Second Vatican Council. Its enduring contribution to the understanding of Mary in Christianity make it eminently worthy of this new and expanded edition."
Timothy Matovina
University of Notre Dame

For the past ten years I have been teaching an introductory course in Mariology to an increasing number of ministry students eager to learn more about the place of Mary in the development of Christian doctrine and devotion. This incredible resource by Hilda Graef has been the backbone of my syllabus and a treasured road map through the highways and by-ways of Christian history, theology, and spirituality.
Words cannot begin to express my joy when I was first informed that a newedition of this fascinating text was forthcoming. As the body of Marian research and resources has continued to grow in recent years in Christian circles, the rediscovery and retrieval of Graef's work will benefit a new generation of inquiring minds.
Thanks to Graef's legacy of scholarship, the study of Mary will continue to be a lens through which to understand and interpret the complexities and subtleties of the Christian tradition. For all those interested in taking up the challenges posed by an engaging and thought-provoking examination of the interactive dynamics of faith and culture, this edition of Mary: A History of Doctrine and Devotion is the book for which you have been waiting. Faithful to its reputation, it is sure to remain a treasured classic for decades to come!
Sr. Margaret Eletta Guider, O.S.F.
Associate Professor, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry
Vice-President of the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate

Hilda Graef's history of Marian doctrines and devotions is a classic, and Ave Maria Press is to be congratulated for bringing it out again in this new edition. There are few works on Mary that can compare with it in terms of clarity, comprehensiveness, and balance. I recommend it highly.
Rev. Richard P. McBrien
Professor of Theology
University of Notre Dame
Author of Catholicism, Lives of the Popes, Lives of the Saints
and The Church: The Evolution of Catholicism

Those who are already familiar with Hilda Graef's classic work, Mary: A History of Doctrine and Devotion, will be delighted to see this scholarly research brought up to the present day. Thomas A. Thompson's addition of a final chapter covering Marian development over the last forty years is comprehensive, balanced, and well documented. It is an excellent and reliable resource that I would highly recommend for both study and reflection.
Mary Ann Clarahan R.S.M., S.L.D.
Assistant Professor of Liturgy and Catechesis
The Catholic University of America


I welcome the news that Ave Maria Press is publishing a new edition of Graef's classic history of the development of Marian doctrine and devotion. There is no other comparable work in English. Particularly important is Graef's systematic introduction to the rich history of intellectual and spiritual writers who have shaped the Church's understanding of Mary, and Fr. Thompson's thorough summary of Mariology from Vatican II to the present creates a welcomed and necessary addition to an already valuable work.
Donna Spivey Ellington
Professor of History
Gardner-Webb University
Author of From Sacred Body to Angelic Soul: Understanding Mary in Late Medieval and Early Modern Europe

This classic, comprehensive resource on Mary has been updated and includes a chronology of Marian contemporary ecumenical dialogue and discussion. For all those committed to placing Mary in the focus of ecumenism, this entire work is invaluable.
Dr. Virginia M. Kimball
Professor of Mariology, Assumption College, Worcester, Massachusetts
President of the American Chapter of the Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary