In search of Mary : the woman and the symbol
Cunneen's search for Mary is in the spirit of the best of the various historical Jesus quests. She is concerned with a contemporary, living symbol; a history of interpretation that reaches beyond the boundaries of Christianity; and a particular woman whose particular life in Roman-occupied Palestine is poorly documented. The paradox of intense memory and meager documentation fuels Cunneen's careful sifting of historical evidence. Maintaining a li...