
Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with fast, free delivery
Amazon Prime includes:
Fast, FREE Delivery is available to Prime members. To join, select "Try Amazon Prime and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery" below the Add to Cart button.
Amazon Prime members enjoy:- Cardmembers earn 5% Back at Amazon.com with a Prime Credit Card.
- Unlimited Free Two-Day Delivery
- Streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with limited ads on Prime Video.
- A Kindle book to borrow for free each month - with no due dates
- Listen to over 2 million songs and hundreds of playlists
- Unlimited photo storage with anywhere access
Important: Your credit card will NOT be charged when you start your free trial or if you cancel during the trial period. If you're happy with Amazon Prime, do nothing. At the end of the free trial, your membership will automatically upgrade to a monthly membership.
Buy new:
-14% $15.47$15.47
Ships from: Amazon.com Sold by: Amazon.com
Save with Used - Very Good
$12.48$12.48
FREE delivery March 3 - 10
Ships from: Books Today For You Sold by: Books Today For You

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
The Real Mary: Why Protestant Christians Can Embrace the Mother of Jesus Paperback – November 1, 2016
Purchase options and add-ons
The real Mary was an unmarried, pregnant teenage girl in first-century Palestine. She was a woman of courage, humility, spirit and resolve, and her response to the angel Gabriel shifted the tectonic plates of history.
Join popular biblical scholar Scot McKnight explores the contours of Mary's life, from the moment she learned of God's plan for the Messiah, to the culmination of Christ's ministry on earth. McKnight dismantles the myths and challenges our prejudices, introducing us to a woman who is a model for faith and who points us to her Son.
- Print length188 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherParaclete Press
- Publication dateNovember 1, 2016
- Dimensions5.2 x 0.3 x 7.9 inches
- ISBN-101612619010
- ISBN-13978-1612619019
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Frequently bought together

Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Editorial Reviews
Review
"The real Mary is no offense to Protestants, but rather a woman for us to honor," he insists, envisioning her as an impoverished, bold, gutsy woman of faith. He also portrays her as neither goddess nor Super-saint, but as the mother of God. McKnight lends interesting cultural context to Mary's simple and courageous words, "let it be," and unpacks the Magnificat as a song of protest and revolution. He poignantly portrays Mary's gradual knowledge that her son would not be the triumphant king envisioned as Messiah, and makes a somewhat controversial case for Mary having other children. His sections on the immaculate conception and Mary as mediatrix in prayer should help debunk some Protestants' false impressions of Catholic belief. McKnight's lucid, sometimes humorous, conversational style makes this an accessible book for a wide pool of evangelical readers." Reviews "When you find the real Mary of Scripture, the Mary of the first century, you'll discover she'll be talking about Jesus and pointing us all to Jesus" writes McKnight in his engaging exploration of the most important woman in the Bible. He peels back the controversy surrounding her legacy to reveal a flesh-and-blood woman of courage, humility, and spirit. --Today's Christian Woman
"This is an easy book to read, intended for a popular audience and well suited to reflection on what it was like to be a young mother of the Messiah in a dangerous world. By humanizing the account of the gospels, McKnight takes us beyond the encrustation of centuries of tradition to look at the flesh-and-blood person who was the mother of our Lord. Indeed, we can join with Mary in her Magnificat praising the God who saw fit to reveal himself in human flesh in the person of Messiah Jesus for the purpose of delivering the world from its sins." -- Mary Jacobs United Methodist Reporter
Scot McKnight, a religious studies professor, was teaching years ago when he had an "aha" moment. McKnight had read the Magnificat, the Virgin Mary's hymn of praise from the Gospel of Luke. "What kind of woman would have said this?" McKnight asked his students at North Park University in Chicago.
As he listened to their answers, McKnight, an evangelical Christian, became convinced that one, most Protestants know next to nothing about Mary; and two, the popular conception of Mary as "hyper-pious, with her hands folded in prayer . . . like a nun," has little to do with the "courageous, gutsy" young woman - "the real Mary" - of the Bible.
McKnight vowed to "reclaim" Mary, a New Testament figure revered by Roman Catholics and largely overlooked by Protestants. His new book, The Real Mary: Why Evangelical Christians Can Embrace the Mother of Jesus," tries to do that. -- The Plain Dealer
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Paraclete Press; Reprint edition (November 1, 2016)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 188 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1612619010
- ISBN-13 : 978-1612619019
- Item Weight : 7.2 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.2 x 0.3 x 7.9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #516,026 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #284 in Christian Mariology
- #418 in Christmas (Books)
- #1,147 in Jesus, the Gospels & Acts (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Born in Southern Illinois, came of age in Freeport, Illinois, attended college in Grand Rapids, MI, seminary at Trinity in Deerfield, IL. Did a PhD at the University of Nottingham in England.
Now a professor of more than four decades.
Scot is awaiting the publication of a book this fall called A Church called Tov (Tyndale).
Two children, two grandchildren.
Kris, my wife, is a psychologist and the greatest woman on earth.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book's analysis of Mary interesting and helpful. They describe it as a good, readable read that provides accurate information and impressive points of view. The book is considered a must-read for Evangelicals and Catholics.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers appreciate the book's perspective on Mary. They find the analysis interesting and helpful for contemplation. The book provides an introduction to Mary with Scripture references and helps them appreciate her more than they thought possible. However, some readers feel the author inserts too many assumptions into the text.
"...He shows us the truth of the life of Mary and gives a great account of all views...Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox...and I like it because he gives..." Read more
"...book is more of a meditation through the Gospels, visiting all the Scripture references about Mary and examining what they say about her...." Read more
"Wow, what an excellent book. It's an eye opener to who Mary it, and her faith in the pronouncement that she will mother the Son of God...." Read more
"Very good book! Puts the real Mary in perspective as to why the protestants should respect Mary without the Catholic veneration." Read more
Customers find the book readable and helpful.
"...A good read that makes one think." Read more
"...This was an excellent book." Read more
"...The appendices provide a great resource for further reflections, reading, and study with Scripture references, bibliography, and source index...." Read more
"Wow, what an excellent book. It's an eye opener to who Mary it, and her faith in the pronouncement that she will mother the Son of God...." Read more
Customers appreciate the book's information quality. They find it helpful and interesting, providing accurate and impressive points of view. The book is readable yet scholarly-backed, with Scripture references, bibliography, and source index. It provides a jumping-off point for further study with rich resources like an appendix with Scripture references, bibliographies, and source indexes.
"I loved the honesty of the author. He gives background information about the culture Mary lived in and the possibile behind the scenes issues she..." Read more
"...He shows us the truth of the life of Mary and gives a great account of all views...Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox...and I like it because he gives..." Read more
"...what I expected when I ordered/purchased it, but it did satisfy some of my questions and has helped me along the way as I continue to study and try..." Read more
"While this book does give a different perspective that might be seen of Mary, it is mostly conjecture and what ifs. It is not biblical based...." Read more
Customers like the book's audience. They say it's a must-read for Evangelicals and Catholics.
"This is an extremely good book for Protestant people...." Read more
"...A must read for Evangelicals and Catholics." Read more
"...I gave it 3 stars because it does make you think. Written for a Catholic audience." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2024I loved the honesty of the author. He gives background information about the culture Mary lived in and the possibile behind the scenes issues she might of faced. The author let it was conjecture and when histortical information was available to back it up. A good read that makes one think.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2007This is an extremely good book for Protestant people. People need to realize and understand the value of Mary and see what a huge role she has played in the history of the Chrsitian Church. She was the Mother of Jesus....that alone should let you know that she has great importance. The author is very open-minded and extremely fair & balanced. He shows us the truth of the life of Mary and gives a great account of all views...Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox...and I like it because he gives you much to read and then lets you think about it and make your own decision. He does not try to force you to believe anything, but he gives you so much accurate information and impressive points of view. This was an excellent book.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 25, 2010Scot McKnight gives many reasons why he should write a book about Mary but his reason that stuck with me the most is on page 6 "that she always leads us to Jesus. When we discover the real Mary, the one who lived in first-century Galilee with Joseph...who struggled at times herself, we also discover someone we can embrace because Mary embraced her son as we are called to do."
How much of what we have come to believe about Mary comes from our 21st century Americana picture of Mary rather than the first century reality and context of where she lived? I again saw the movie, "The Nativity" as I was reading, "The Real Mary," and I must say that both the movie and this book give us an idea about the struggles and challenges of Mary and Joseph within the first century that we hardly consider today. That is the real miracle of Christmas that Jesus ever made it to his birth with all of the cultural challenges that this couple faced. And then their fleeing as refugees to Egypt and hearing the echos of the screams of mothers and baby boys being killed by Herod's storm troopers in search of the boy King. Mary and Joseph's lives were filled with unbelievable challenge and struggle and yet she believed in what her Son had come to do.
I was deeply challenged by the 6th ministry themes of Jesus and the influence that Jesus would have learned from his mother regarding his mission. Page 104, " First, as Mary exclaimed,' holy is his name' so Jesus taught his followers to pray to the Father, 'hallowed (holy) be your name'. Second, as Mary gloried in the arrival of food, the relief of poverty, and the elavation of those oppressed when she proclaimed that, 'he has filled the hungry with good things,' so her son blessed the poor and fed the hungry. Third, as Mary saw God at work bringing, 'down rulers from their thrones,' so Jesus regularly had strong words with political and religious leaders about injustice and corruption. Fourth, as Mary knew the mercy of God for herself, for her relative Elizabeth, and for her people Israel, so Jesus became famous for his deeds of mercy and acts of compassion. Fifth, as Mary yearned for the redemption of Israel, like Simeon and Anna and all of the other Anawim (righteous poor), so Jesus' heart was broken over the condition of Israel, and he longed for it to return as a chicken brood to its mother. Finally, as Mary herself almost certainly became a widow, so Jesus himself regularly went out of his way to care for widows in their distress. " If Jesus is just like us, where would he have learned these things, if not from his mother?
This book gives us a clear picture of why we should honor Mary, why we should learn more about her and more importantly to us today, how does her life of challenge and struggle speak to us where we live today. I think, like to many evangelicals, I have skipped over the life of the mother of Jesus and have missed a great opportunity to learn modern day truths. With the reading of this book, I am changing that and maybe you will too.....
- Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2012I'm sorry it has taken me so long to get around to reading this book. It wasn't exactly what I expected when I ordered/purchased it, but it did satisfy some of my questions and has helped me along the way as I continue to study and try to understand the role of Mary in my Christian faith.
I have long respected Scot McKnight as a scholar and a writer. I trust the integrity of his work and I am able to "follow his pen" as it were... I get what he is teaching through his writing and this book is no exception.
The first part of the book is more of a meditation through the Gospels, visiting all the Scripture references about Mary and examining what they say about her. These were not the original questions I was seeking answers from this book, but as I journeyed through part one, I started to realize the importance of spending time with Mary of the Gospels. She was certainly a woman of importance and influence; I think that sometimes it is easy to forget this and the meditative reading of Mary through the Gospels was a great reminder.
Part two of The Real Mary was more akin to what I was looking for in the book. In it, McKnight addresses some of the controversy and disagreement between the views of Mary in Church tradition. I wish there had been more information about the Orthodox (Eastern) tradition as most of the discussion favored Roman Catholic positions and Protestant interpretation. Nonetheless, the information was extremely helpful for me to have a "jumping off point" for further study.
The appendices provide a great resource for further reflections, reading, and study with Scripture references, bibliography, and source index. I wish the book would have been a little more comprehensive in its scope, but I did find that it more than sufficiently answered some of my questions and provided me with rich resources to continue my study. I found some surprising information while reading about The Real Mary and I believe the same will be true for others who take up this little book with the same curiosity as I did.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2018Wow, what an excellent book. It's an eye opener to who Mary it, and her faith in the pronouncement that she will mother the Son of God. Not only that it give a good history lesson of what was going on during that time. I highly recommend this book to everyone.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2022This book highlights the strength that Mary demonstrates. A must read for Evangelicals and Catholics.
- Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2013An evangelical writing on why we should honor Mary? I decided to give this book a try but found it really boring and, on the whole, a waste of time. But it may not be a waste of time if you have never honored Mary (if you are an Evangelical)
Top reviews from other countries
- AmronReviewed in Canada on August 13, 2012
5.0 out of 5 stars Mary...for Protestants
This was a well written book about Mary, the mother of Jesus. As Protestants...especially evangelical protestants...we sometimes pay little attention to who Mary was other than her role in the birth of Jesus. We get "fearful" of being "too Catholic." This book was an inspiration to me and gave me a much more realistic idea of the place of Mary in the Bible.
- Michele JonesReviewed in the United Kingdom on December 27, 2013
5.0 out of 5 stars Book
Good read as well as details that I wouldn't of considered for my work. I would recommend this book if you ard looking for extra information or resources
- Melvin WheatonReviewed in Canada on January 5, 2014
5.0 out of 5 stars Biblically insightful
A great look into the life of the Mother of Jesus. Biblically accurate and theologically sound. Highly recommend for bible teachers and anyone who wishes to study the life of Mary.