Mathewes-Green opens up "The Gospel of Mary" to see her early life, offering a window into her centrality to the Christian Faith in new and sometimes startling ways. Christians have alternatively raised the status of the mother of Jesus to that of her Son or ignored her entirely. Behind all of the images is a girl who grew up to be the mother of Christ.

• How did the first Christians view her?
• What were the commonly understood facts about the Blessed Mother's early life, before the Annunciation?
• How did Mary, the mother of Jesus, become the Theotokos?

This book gives some surprising insights.