When we turn to Mary as she is found in the pages of the New Testament, a distinct irony emerges. On the one hand, no other woman has influenced Western culture to the degree that she has. On the other, our only resources regarding her life amount to six chapters (two from Matthew and four from Luke), two stories in John, and scattered verses in Mark, Paul, and possibly Revelation. Undoubtedly, this paucity of material is what drives (some) Protestant concerns about so-called