Scholars from different faith traditions convene and celebrate Mary

For a few years, I have enjoyed membership in the ESBVM -- the Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary, an international organization that works to promote greater understanding and dialogue of the significance of the Blessed Virgin Mary between Christian and non-Christian religions.

A new book of essays from top scholars in the Society has just been released and I am happy to support their work. Here is the press release that explains the fascinating scope of their work:

New Pan-Christian Book on the Mother of Christ!

New chance to promote Mary across denominational borders 

What are twenty-first-century Protestants, Catholics and Orthodox Christians saying about the mother of the Christian Messiah?  How much do we hold in common?  How much is disputed? What can be learned from the rich heritage of other Christian traditions?   What can be learned from Judaism and Islam?

Discover the answers to these and other questions!

 Order Mary for the Love and Glory of God, (eds. Maura Hearden, Ph.D. and Virginia Kimball, S.T.D.): This remarkable book, just published, is an engaging and informative collection of essays written by scholars and clergy from the many and varied traditions of eastern and western Christianity.

Retail price: $25

To order: Contact the ESBVM at esbvmeditor@gmail.com. (Also available through online book dealers.)

 Become part of an ecumenical Marian organization: Mary for the Love and Glory of God is the fruit of the first International Congress of the Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary (ESBVM) to have been held in the United States.  The Society, which began in the United Kingdom in 1967 and spread to the United States a decade later, exists to promote ecumenical study of and devotion to Mary as a vital component of Christian unity. 

 Join the ESBVM: Theologians, clergy, and lay people from all Christian traditions who wish to explore the role that Christ’s mother played in salvation history and her relevance to our lives today are encouraged to join as we strive to obey Christ’s command “That they may all be one” (Jn 17:21).

 To find out more about the ESBVM, go to the international website: www.esbvm.org.

 For ESBVM membership in the United States, send an email to the chapter president, Dr. Virginia Kimball: virginiakimball@comcast.net.

The co-editor and current President of the US Chapter of the ESBVM, Virginia Kimball, STD, of Assumption College (Worchester, MA) was a recent guest on Among Women (See episodes 100 & 101).


Finally, co-editor, Maura Hearden, PhD, of DeSales University (Center Valley, PA) has also appeared as a guest on Among Women (See episodes 31, 32, and 83.)