Mary, Mother and disciple : from the scriptures to the Council of Ephesus

"Our purpose is the study Mary within the living context of the early Christian communities. What were the needs, problems, difficulties and crises of these Churches that led them to portray Jesus' mother in the way they did? To discover this, we must investigate the documents and letters that witness the thought patterns of these groups. Such an investigation will lead us to discover the true place that Mary found within the memory, beliefs and theology of early Christian communities." [Introduction].