Hail, Holy Queen

Hail, Holy Queen: The Mother of God in the Word of God is theologian Scott Hahn's follow-up to his bestselling The Lamb's Supper. Like the previous book, Hail, Holy Queen melds autobiographical reflections, scriptural interpretation, and historical anecdotes in an accessible style to clarify some sophisticated points of Catholic theology. From the book's first sentence ("For all my newfound piety, I was still fifteen years old, and all too conscious of 'cool'"), the author's assured voice will capture the reader's interest. Readers outside Catholicism who are mystified by the centrality of Mary in Catholic devotion, and Catholics who wish to become more knowledgeable and reflective about a central aspect of their faith, will be especially drawn to Hail, Holy Queen. Among the book's most interesting claims is Hahn's contention that Marian devotion has shaped common ideas about motherhood. Hahn's teenage consciousness of cool made him ashamed of his mother. That kind of shame, he argues, helps to shape many Christians' ideas about Mary. And yet, citing John's Gospel, Hahn writes, "As He hung dying on the cross, in His last will and testament, Jesus left us a mother." Hail, Holy Queen charts a course from shame to respect and love. --Michael Joseph Gross