Luigi Gambero (1930–2013)

From Ignatius Press: Father Luigi Gambero, internationally-known expert on early Christianity, presents a comprehensive survey of the development of Marian doctrine and devotion during the first eight centuries. Focusing on the lives and works of over thirty of the most famous Church Fathers and early Christian writers, Father Gambero has produced a clear and readable summary of the richness of the patristic age's theological and devotional approach to the Mother of God. The book contains numerous citations from the works of those men who developed the defining Christological and Mariological positions that have constituted the foundational doctrinal teaching of the Church. Each chapter concludes with an extended reading from the works of the patristic authors. A number of these texts have never before been published in English.… (mais)

Mary and the Fathers of the Church is an impressive feat of scholarship that manages to be both masterful and accessible at the same time. Starting with Ignatius of Antioch and continuing until John of Damascus, Gambero covers the development of Mary's role in the Church during the era of the early fathers. The book is divided chronologically into four sections, which are in turn divided into chapters focusing on individual authors. Each chapter begins with a short biography of the writer or writers, gives an overview of the role Mary plays in their theology and then ends with a short passage from their writings to reinforce the author's points. All in all, I think it's rather brilliant.

Fr. Gambero, who unfortunately passed away earlier this year, has another book, Mary in the Middle Ages, which covers the medieval Latin theologians. It's definitely on my list for next year's reading. And if you have an interest in the early church or in Mariology, Mary and the Fathers of the Church is definitely something you should look into. Highly recommended.… (mais)