Shame, Hope and the Church: A Journey with Mary

Feeling ashamed is something we all experience. It is a painful and pressing reality for today’s Church. Jesus himself knew what it felt like. But we can easily forget that it was part of the life of Mary, his mother. This book, brilliantly written by theologian, Thomas Ryan, accompanies Mary in her own moments of shame and, even, public humiliation. It explores how such disruptive events can offer positive opportunities, with Mary, to learn, to grow and, importantly, to renew hope for our troubled Church.   This highly original book is essential reading for all in today’s turbulent world who seek to be inspired and guided by the lessons of the life of Mary, Mother of God.

-Gerald A. Arbuckle SM, Author: Abuse and Cover-Up: Refounding the Catholic Church in Trauma (Orbis, 2019)

Thomas Ryan SM, a Marist priest now living in Sydney, was involved in tertiary theological education for many years. He has also worked in parishes and in Adult Faith Education at the Aquinas Academy in Sydney. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Faculty of Theology and Philosophy of the Australian Catholic University and an Adjunct Associate Professor of the School of Philosophy and Theology of the University of Notre Dame Australia. Apart from chapters in books, he has published numerous articles in theological journals both nationally and internationally.