Where do we find the first flowerings of the cult of the Virgin Mary, which grew into such a great tree of many branches in Catholic and Orthodox Christianity throughout the medieval and on into the modern period? Do we see signs of Marian devotion in the Catacombs? When did Christians initially begin to see Mary as the object of prayers, hymns and visionary experiences? How much did they borrow ideas and practices from Pagan Goddess worship? In this book, a group of scholars associated with the Centre for Marian Studies share their most recent research on these questions. They have provided chapters on the New Testament; the Catacombs; the Protevangelium of James; Mary and Goddess worship; the origin of Marian feasts and their Pagan connections; the Council of Ephesus; Mary as Wisdom; Marian Art. Their work sheds light onto fascinating and controversial areas of Marian history, which will stimulate any reader interested in the complex story of early Christianity. "McGuckin argues deftly that, while Mary may have annexed certain attributes of Isis, she never lost her uniquely Christian office as intercessor...an excellent volume" Reviewed by Mark Edwards in Church Times, May 2008 Chris Maunder is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies, York St. John University, York; and Chair of Trustees of the Centre for Marian Studies, University of Wales, Lampeter.