Behold Your Mother: A Biblical and Historical Defense of the Marian Doctrines

by Tim Staples

From the cross Jesus gave us his mother to be our mother, too: a singularly holy model, consoler, and intercessor for our spiritual journey. Yet most Protestants and too many Catholics don t understand the role that God wants her to play in our lives. In Behold Your Mother, Tim Staples takes you through the Church’s teachings about the Blessed Virgin Mary, showing their firm Scriptural and historical roots and dismantling the objections of those who mistakenly believe that Mary competes for the attention due Christ alone. Combining the best recent scholarship with a convert’s in-depth knowledge of the arguments, Staples has assembled the most thorough and useful Marian apologetic you’ll find anywhere. He also shows how all the Marian doctrines are relevant, even essential to a salvific faith in Jesus. From her divine maternity to her perpetual virginity, from her Immaculate Conception to her Assumption, the Church’s core teachings about Mary are intertwined with the mysteries of Christ. In a word, Mary matters. Read Behold Your Mother and find out just how much.

Genres: Catholic, Religion, Theology, Christian, Christianity, Faith, Nonfiction

352 pages, Paperback

First published October 29, 2014

About the author

Tim Staples was raised in a Southern Baptist home in Virginia. Although he somewhat fell away from serious faith during his adolescent years, the preaching of several TV evangelists motivated Tim to give his life to Christ at the age of 18. Shortly thereafter Staples joined the Marine Corps to gain some much-needed discipline and get some help financing his college education. During his tour of duty he had the opportunity to participate in several Protestant ministries and bible studies. Before long, Tim enrolled in the Jimmy Swaggart Bible College and with an eye towards becoming an youth minister for the Assemblies of God, a Pentecostal denomination.

However, during his final year in the Marines, Tim met a fellow soldier named Matt Dula who really challenged Tim to examine the Catholic Faith from a biblical and historical perspective. Tim's friendship with Matt sparked a two-year search for the truth. Though Tim was determined to prove Catholicism wrong, he wound up studying and praying his way right into the Roman Catholic Church!

After converting to Catholicism in 1988, Staples spent six years in formation for the priesthood. Tim began his journey towards ordination by earning a degree in philosophy from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Overbrook, Pennsylvania. He then went on to study graduate theology for two additional years at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

In 1994 Tim discerned through prayer and counsel that his calling was not to be a Catholic priest, but rather to be a lay Catholic apologist and evangelist. He has been hard at work ever since producing materials to help Catholics and non-Catholics alike understand the meaning and the biblical foundation of the Catholic faith. His works include Nuts and Bolts: A Practical How-To Guide for Explaining and Defending the Catholic Church, and Twisted Scripture(CD), a critique of the Protestant doctrine of "Sola Scriptura." Tim's personal conversion story can be found in written form in the book edited by Patrick Madrid entitled Surprised by Truth - 11 Stories of Conversion to the Catholic Church. Staples' journey of conversion is also available in an audio/video version under the title The Bible Made Me Do It! (VHS, Audio Tape, Compact Disk).

In hundreds of live appearances all over the country, Tim Staples has helped thousands of people find their way home to the Catholic Church. Tim makes his extensive knowledge of Scripture available in tapes, books, and talks, helping others to see the strong biblical basis under girding Catholic doctrine. Tim’s humor and infectious enthusiasm captivate his audiences, and his unique style has brought him worldwide renown. Tim currently resides in Southern California with his wife Valerie and their infant son, Tim Jr. He is currently a staff apologist for Catholic Answers in El Cajon, CA.

Reviews

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Behold Your Mother is a 300+ page blue hardcover (Really what other color would be appropriate?). It is written by Tim Staples, who is the Director of Apologetics at Catholic Answers, and is billed as "a Biblical and Historical defense of the Marian doctrines. The book is divided into five parts, one for each of the core doctrines. They are as follows:

Part I - Mother of God
Part II - Full of Grace
Part III - Ever-Virgin
Part IV - Assumed into Heaven
Part V - Mediatrix and Co-Redemptrix

Each part includes one to three chapters defining the doctrine; Scripture references/citations, which support the doctrine; and the historical Tradition that the Church has believed about these doctrines. Each of the five parts also includes a chapter, which answers common objections. These chapters above all are very useful for Catholics looking to defend Mary against Protestants, atheists, and agnostics. There are copious footnotes in this book as well, which even contain either citations or personal commentary by Mr. Staples on the subject at hand. Lastly, there are six appendices at the end of the book. Two of them use Patristics, which is a huge selling point for me, and one of them addresses the puzzling doctrine of Mary remaining a virgin, even during labor.

Each section of the book was well-organized, well-argued, and insightful. His argument for how Mary is Theotokos or God-bearer made perfect sense. Mary can't just be mother to Jesus' human-nature. She is mother to all of Jesus, humanity and divinity. Therefore, she is the Mother of God. Another section I enjoyed was the talk of Mary's Assumption, and his comparisons of her to the Ark of the Covenant. Though he doesn't state in the main text whether or not Mary died, because the Church doesn't have an official teaching on that, he does state in the footnotes that he believes she did. I too share that belief. With all these helpful sections, the one most important to me dealt with Mary as Mediatrix and Co-Redemptrix. This is a doctrine I have always struggled with, probably due to lack of understanding. I can't even begin to summarize Mr. Staples explanations in these chapters, but I can say I walked away from them at peace and with a better understanding of a doctrine that has caused me many nights of head-scratching.

With all the positive aspects of this book, the main question one must ask is who the book is intended for. I would say that this is primarily intended for faithful Catholics. While, they may believe all five of these doctrines (blindly or with limited understanding), they would benefit from this book in trying to articulate these points to people who don't believe in them. While Protestants and non-believers would benefit from reading this book, I have to think that only the serious inquirer would dare tackle a book this thick. Others would simply be turned off the size and possibly look for something a little more brief. I am proud to have this book in my library, and I know it will be a valuable reference for years to come. Five stars!

[Gayle Weber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading this book because I am in the process of converting to Catholicism and devotion to Mary has always been mysterious to me. Not anymore. Tim Staples, the author, is a convert who, in the process of trying to discredit the Catholic Church in his theological studies, came to realize that the fullness of the faith was right there in the Catholic Church, the one founded by Jesus himself. He wrote this book to answer the objections of Protestants and Evangelicals about devotion to The Blessed Virgin Mary. One word of warning, you may have to read this more than once. It is packed with tons of good information that you will want to remember. Good book for non-Catholics, too, because it explains the basis for devotion to Mary and why Catholics love her so much.

[January · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a convert like me, it clearly explains a lot of things about Mary that I was unsure about prior to reading this book.

[Will Davis]

Tim Staples the kind of guy to say “score one for the Catholics!”

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Staples answers most every conceivable protestant objection to the Marian dogmas you can think of. Even the ones that seem painfully obvious. This is an apology of dogma and not necessarily devotion, so you can expect it to get pretty technical--especially in the beginning when he's explaining nuance in Greek syntax. Some of the typology is really mind-blowing if you've had little exposure to it before. I especially found his description of the Wedding Feast at Cana fascinating and I wasn't aware of the depth of the mystery before.

[Leslie Moellering · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very clear evidence on the Marian doctrines with well-documented sources from the early church.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good. Dense. I really need to read books when i have issues on a particular topic. I was agreeing with the book the entire time, and it took some of the fun out of the read lol

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book came as a review copy and I’ve been meaning to read it…for TEN YEARS?!?!?!? It was as great an exposition of Mary as anything I’ve read, almost a textbook in its thoroughness. Full of the author’s experience as an opposer of Marian understanding, there’s a respect for the path to belief and the hurdles that stand in the way. I appreciated the heart behind how Staples wrote and shared the facts and his own love for Mary.

[Stephanie G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book merits two different reviews -- no spoilers. :)

For Protestants, & all non-Catholics:
This book is not meant to be an introductory Catholic apologetics attempt. It's a wonderful, in-depth analysis of the arguments for and against a robust Marian doctrine. If you are curious as to why Catholics seem to make much about the Virgin Mary, this is taking a big bite out of the why... I would argue it's not for beginners, but if you've read other Catholic apologetics works (Catholicism and Fundamentalism by Karl Keating, or Born Fundamentalist Born Again Catholic by David B. Currie [I read this one to understand what all the objection to Catholicism is even about -- I recommend it!]) this would be a thorough exposition of the topic. You will learn so much about God's perfect design for our salvation! The author, Tim Staples, is a convert, and I believe he will address many of your concerns regarding Mary!

For my Catholic readers:
BUCKLE IN. This is not only a point-for-point analysis of many Protestant arguments against our Blessed Mother backed with biblical proof and early Church father defense, it's an incredible primer about why we revere the Mother of our Lord in the first place. At every point, we're reminded that by her actions and her fiat she reflects and magnifies our Lord Jesus. As is so prevalent with everything 'coincidental' in the Bible, be awed and fall in love with our Heavenly Father all over again.
You will see comparisons between Eve and Mary. You will learn more about how Elizabeth's exclamation to Mary when she visited is so like David dancing with joy when the Ark of the Covenant was brought to him. You will learn more about Saint Joseph. You will learn about apocryphal writings, heretics, saints like Jerome and John Chrysostom. You will deepen your faith. I cannot recommend this enough to Catholic readers. It's time you learned more about Mary, our Mother.

A special thanks to Tim Staples of Catholic Answers. I happened to watch a live stream of their radio show and this book was mentioned. I bought it on Kindle and let it sit for six months. I was moved to begin reading it during the Christmas octave, and it made Christmas that much more dear to me for having begun it. Thank you for your labor of love!

[Argum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tim Staples is a convert from Southern Baptist background now an apologist for Catholic Answers. To my eyes, he does a good job leveraging this into raising Protestant objections to Marian doctrines of the Church. However, he seems to be writing for a mixed audience based on some of his prose saying things like my Catholic readers will find this unobjectionable (implying he has other readers) or saying the Protestants will be confused. If that is the case, then he relies too much on sources only valid in a Catholic world view like writings of popes or teachings of the Magisterium. Obviously if only used to prove what Catholics really believe as opposed to things that are supposedly held true that would be fine or if he was only trying to deepen a Catholic's understanding of Church teaching these are valid proof texts. Not sure though that his case is made to non Catholic audiences. That said he does a beautiful job of explaining and providing proof texts for Marian teachings. This is probably a medium level of difficulty not an introduction on why Mary matters, but not seminary level either. It was very detailed and multiple citations and proof texts are used for every point, no cherry picking a single line of scripture or a single early Christian writer here. The best feature is not the individual pieces of Marian doctrine like Assumption or perpetual virginity, which are great, but the overriding concern that is given to place Mary in her proper context - a way to her son, Christ. Getting Mary wrong gets Jesus wrong. Mary matters and the Bible tells us so.

[Ashlyn Gayk · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars for me.

[Emerson John Tiu Ng · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect book that explains the dogmas surrounding our Blessed Mother. Tim Staples successfully summarizes everything and gave facts to counter the arguments against Blessed Virgin Mary.

[Christopher Moellering · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thought provoking and thorough examination of the Church’s teaching on Mary and the Dogmas surrounding her.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very educational about the Marian doctrines, but in my opinion needlessly combative toward and reductive of the VERY diverse Protestant theologies.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was given to me by someone who wanted me to read it, so I decided to give it a shot. I don't regret reading it, but it was a bit of a slog.

This book took me two years to finish. It's informative, clearly very thought-out and makes internal sense. Clearly Tim Staples knows the Catholic views on Mary quite well, and knows his former views from his Protestant days, but not coming from a similarly informed background, I found it frequently difficult to tell whether he was simply cherry-picking which examples of other writers to tear down or whether he was using the best examples of clear teaching from his philosophical opponents. If that were clearer, I'd probably have given this four stars instead of three. I didn't relate to the arguments he was arguing against most of the time, and I think that's part of the problem.

Mr Staples does an excellent job of laying out the position he now holds, and provides well-studied responses and a lot of supporting quotes from a variety of early Christian sources as well as citing a wide variety of old Hebrew scripture passages which make Mary's status a strengthening sign of who Jesus Christ is through prophecy. Throughout my life I've always heard a lot of specific reasons why we know Jesus is the Messiah, but almost nothing of why we know Mary is the virgin mother prophesied to bear him. This bridges this gap and makes the point of why that's important to understanding Christ, so for that, I applaud his efforts.

Unfortunately, coupled with the previously mentioned lack of clarity on why certain arguments were the best arguments to address (probably more apparent to someone who has strongly held opinions on the matters - I did not go in with anything but a general lack of knowledge of how people who do have strong opinions formed their arguments), I also found Mr Staples went above and beyond simply making his point and delved into a bit of self-congratulatory tones that were more than a little turn-off. That's the real thing that made this take two years to finish, off and on. He also treats some clearly inconclusive information as if it were absolute truth, which is frustrating when he also cites stronger information that already make his point without it.

Overall, a solid collection of arguments with some extra bits that come across as the guy who won his argument and still won't let the argument drop. Which is probably hard in a book that wants to be conclusive since your opponents are not there to defend themselves. I'm sure Mr Staples would acquit himself well in a debate with his opponents using this as his reference in a way that would avoid a lot of these issues if his opponents could simply respond in kind. In book form, making all the points that would make sense in such a debate can come across as beating a dead horse. I really would have liked to give him four on this. He probably deserves it and perhaps I just don't quite fall in the correct target audience to get it there.

I genuinely think he is targeting Protestants with strong objections to Catholic views on Mary and Catholics who have found themselves flat-footed and less informed than they needed to be when discussing things with the same.

[Cameron M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ave Maria! Salve Regina!

This book is not for the faint of heart. Tim Staples has composed a great Marian work, to much of the delight (I'm sure) to our Blessed Mother. I have seen other reviews who suggested that this book may be intended for those who are ready for take a deep plunge into Mariology and learn more profoundly the Marian doctrines and dogmas.

First and foremost, let me echo the Church Fathers when they say that the Blessed Virgin Mary only echoes the profound truths of our Lord, Jesus Christ. She is not a topic of worship within Catholicism, but of the highest honor. She is illuminated only by her Son, our Lord. Tim Staples makes this explicitly clear throughout the book.

The book is divided up into five parts:
Part I: Mother of God
Part II: Full of Grace
Part III: Ever-Virgin
Part IV: Assumed into Heaven
Part V: Mediatrix and Co-Redemptrix

Each part has sub chapters and categories that deal at length Mary and her role in each doctrine that are chalk-full of biblical and historical/traditional reference. One might be able to note some of the author's Protestant background due to his immense emphasis on Scripture. However, I'd almost expect this sort of heavy biblical reference as Protestants tend to gravitate to Sola-Scriptura.

With grace, Staples guides us through biblical and historical/traditional explanations and gets into the nitty-gritty semantics of etymology, which, at many points, is a must for our Fundamentalist and Evangelical brethren. Tim makes irrefutable claims with love and charity to defend our Blessed Mother's position within the Holy Mother Church.

I would make this book a must-read for Catholics, and those who find Our Ever-Virgin Mother somewhat challenging to accept. This book will be a reference for me in the future, as it is so dense and full of rich literature and other references to Church Fathers of ages past.

Thank you, Tim, for this beautiful work.

[Zach de Walsingham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Former Southern Baptist Tim Staples brings together the Patristics and Scripture, and interacts with modern Protestants like James White and Walter Martin, even a bit of Phillip Schaff near the end. This also builds on works by Scot Hahn and Karl Keating. Quite good. It is refreshing to see others having discovered these things. Recommended to any who are interested in a thorough book on the topic. Although I'd also recommend Brant Pitre's "Jewish Roots of Mary" alongside.

Footnote, for those wondering "what are these things":
I knew from prior research going into this book that *all* of the Reformers believed in Semper Virgo, even the Geneva Bible has it, and that many believed in the Immaculate Conception, such as the (Reformed) Second Helvetic Confession of 1564, which in the original Latin has both Semper Virgo and the Immaculate Conception. (Surprisingly, in his work on the Virgin Mary, even J. Gresham Machen agreed that the Greek of the NT supported the arguments for Semper Virgo.) I also had learned that Zwingli, Luther, Melanchthon, Bucer and others had agreed to Semper Virgo and the Immaculate Conception in the Lutheran-Reformed Marburg Colloquy of 1529, and later the Lutheran Smalcald Articles of 1537, and that even Henry Bullinger (successor to Zwingli) believed in the historical account of the Assumption (really a resurrection), which Ignatius of Antioch does interpret as being based on both OT prophecy and what Revelation 12 referred to. Fascinating stuff.

[Connor Longaphie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel definitely in the minority not liking/not appreciating/not being at all convinced of these arguments. There are certainly some nuggests that I agree with, and I'm certainly not part of the american evangelical anti-mary protestantism that Tim's opponents are, like James white who he mentions for example (perhaps that's why I was less touched by the work), though nevertheless I found that everytine Tim would make a sound argument he would try to stretch it too far and it would fall to the ground. Too often Tim would say things like; but the spiritual meaning, or; it's not necessary but it's fitting (aka, there's no real biblical or logical necessity for us to confess this but it sounds romantic), or; if-then (these logical jumps usually don't land anywhere solid).

I tried to like it guys. Sorry. Yes Mary is a type of the chruch, yes she's the new eve, yes she's the ark of the covenant. Yes, she is the woman in Revelation 12. Do I buy into semper Virgo? No. Do I buy into her immaculate conception? No. Do I buy into the bodily assumption? No (But i find this least problematic). Do I buy into her co-mediatrixy? Absolutely 100% NO!

[Jed Sanford · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Behold Your Mother, Tim Staples offers a biblical and historical defense of the Roman Catholic Marian doctrines: Mary as the Mother of God, Mary's Immaculate Conception, Mary's perpetual virginity, Mary's bodily assumption into heaven, Mary as Co-Redeemer and Mediatrix, and Mary as Queen of Heaven. An ex-Protestant himself, Staples is thorough in responding to the various objections that Protestants make to these doctrines, and attempts to argue for a biblical basis for each one.
Staples does a good job arguing that Mary is the Mother of God (a belief already accepted by Protestants) and for her perpetual virginity. However, his arguments for Mary's Immaculate Conception and her Assumption (the real points of disagreement between Protestants and Catholics) are much weaker. Much of Staples biblical exegesis is highly questionable, and many of his theological arguments seem speculative and tenuous. While Staples does a good job clarifying the Catholic position on these issues, it is unlikely that his arguments will persuade a skeptical Protestant reader.

[Ben Mizrahi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this book expecting a refreshing discourse on Marian doctrine. As a high church Confessional Lutheran/Evangelical Catholic, I often find myself to be sorely lacking in terms of good Marian materials,, especially one concerning the Lutheran pious opinions about Mary (the Roman Catholic dogmas of her perpetual virginity, assumption and queenship).

I found the book very disappointing in this sense. I myself could think of several better arguments for each of the dogmas Staples covers, and he sometimes tend to connect different doctrines that do not necessarily follow from each other as his main argument (especially in relations to the doctrines I disagree with, such as Mary as co-redemptrix).

However, the book did help strengthen my belief of Mary as the new Eve and as the true Ark of the Covenant, this is why I give Staple's book two stars instead of one. I wish he would dedicate separate chapters to those Marian titles though.

[Cody Hawkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very thorough and well written. However I wish the author had organized some of the defenses or arguments in an order more palatable to his primary audience — Evangelicals. For example, it's much clearer to start with the evidence about Mary being the new Ark than to start with a granular discussion on "full of grace", or claiming her being the Woman in Genesis 3:15, which is truthfully a more tenuous claim. At times I also think his language is a little too adulatory considering this audience is likely to be hostile to Church teaching. But this is a minor complaint. I think there is very little wiggle room not to accept Church dogma on Mary after reading this, provided you are not already hard of heart. Catholics are truly blessed to have access to the fullness of truth about our Mother.

[Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ex-protestant drawing on scriptural and historical support for many of the positions the Catholic Church have on Our Lady that are both controversial and (or because of) a lack of explicit references in scripture. Very heavily leans on Sacred Scripture, but with plenty of cross-referencing to the Catechism and the Church Fathers.

As a convert, I found this book very powerful; particularly the discussion on how integral Our Lady's depiction in Revelations chp. 12 is to the enlightening of many of Church doctrine. I would suggest this book to anyone doubting some positions the Church has on the Blessed Mother, or many church positions at all. It's well-researched and was an easy read, even at 343 pages.

[Richard Grebenc · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading through this book as part of my First Saturday devotion for over a year and a half. An indispensable book for Marian apologetics. Goes deep into Scripture and Tradition, chock full of quotes from both, to support all Catholic Marian beliefs that trouble Protestants (and more than a few Catholics). This book is for any serious and objective Protestant who wants to understand the Catholic Mary. For believing Catholics, you will learn much about Our Lady and be better able to defend her. A great gift for the engaged Christian who wants to engage in a serious dialectic with the Church regarding Mary.

[Missy Funderburk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book answers every analytical question I ever asked (and many I didn’t know to ask) about Mary. She is worth the research, I promise. My life is overflowing with graces, joy, and sweet help through sorrows ever since I met her and cultivated relationship with her. She is the safest, quickest, most certain path to Jesus, in Jesus, and with Jesus. This book helped me understand logically why that is true, placing an even more firm foundation under my faith. If you have any interest in eternal family life in the Kingdom of Heaven, learn about Mary, for she holds the Lamb of Salvation.

[Jedi Master Nate Lightray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not Catholic, but I have no problem challenging my own preconceptions, so I read a book my professor allowed me to borrow. This book allowed me to understand more about what Catholics believe, even if they can’t put it into words. However, I think Staples overplays his hand at times, and while I do not discredit all of his thoughts, I simply cannot follow them to his conclusion. That being said, I definitely have more respect for beliefs about Mary than I did before.

[Makai · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author Tim Staples presented in this book a very clear defense and very convincing support for the Marian doctrines. It was easy to understand and follow, and he offered excellent counter arguments to objections that may be brought against Catholic Mariology. To anyone who has an interest in either learning how to defend the Marian doctrines or to any Protestants who wish to understand them, I highly recommend this book.

[Joel Rocha]

Frankly, this is such a great book! With an exhaustive analysis of the historical and scriptural basis which our Marian dogmas are predicated on, I would certainly urge every Catholic to give this book a read. Though one may perhaps be intimidated by the vast array of scriptural and historical evidence that Staples cites this is definitely a must read for those wishing to defend our Marina doctrine!

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has brought me so much clarity in regards to the Marian doctrines. This, in turn, has deepened my faith and has strengthened my conviction of the truthfulness of the Catholic Faith. It not only made me closer to our Blessed Virgin Mary by getting to know more about her but also led me to a deeper intimacy with Jesus.

[Gil Michelini · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for an in-depth, academically supported source to better understand the Church's teaching on Mary, this is the book for you. Staples uses objections from various Protestants (of which he was one) as a jump-off point for explaining (in detail) the various teachings and the Biblical sources

[Mike Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was the most detailed and all encompassing account on our Blessed Mother. I was a Protestant and am now a Catholic. I can see how our Lady leads us to a close relationship with Jesus. Great book and should be required reading for anyone who questions the legitimacy of Mary.