An accessible exploration of the many roles played by Mary over the centuries - and the enduring meaning of her life and legacy for all people.Join award-winning author Jon Sweeney as he delves into the mystery, history, and imagination surrounding the life and legends of the Virgin Mary. Strange Heaven explores the many meanings of her life and their importance for the rest of human history.Sweeney searches for Mary in the four Gospels, the non-Canonical Gnostic gospels, the Qur'an, medieval and Renaissance art, mystical writings of figures such as Beatrice of Nazareth and Anne Catherine Emmerich, the teachings of Bernard of Clairvaux, Martin Luther, and various little-known mystics, contemporary novels and art, and throughout twenty centuries of the Christian imagination. The result is a satisfying feast of information and lore. But more importantly, Strange Heaven offers a glimpse into how the Incarnation placed Mary at the centre of salvation history, a role that at once benefits all of us and models what is possible in a relationship with God.'Nothing short of astonishing in its power to touch the heart and revive the soul.' -- St. Anthony Messenger'A bridge-building volume. We live in times of great religious divisiveness... [Sweeney's] respect for his fellow Christians, even those with different beliefs, is something we should all emulate in our own spiritual journeys.' -- The LutheranJON M. SWEENEY is the author of The Saint Francis Prayer Book, The Lure of Saints: a Protestant Experience of Catholic Tradition, and Praying with Our Hands (which was featured on PBS's 'Religion & Ethics' news weekly). A memoir, Born Again and Again, was named one of the 'Best Books of 2005' by Spirituality and Health magazine. Sweeney is also the editor of Paul Sabatier's classic biography of Saint Francis, The Road to Assisi, which was a selection of the History Book Club, Crossings Book Club, and Book-of the-Month Club. He lives with his wife and two children in Vermont.220 pages, hardcover5-1/2"" x 8-1/4""