Michael P. Closs’ masterpiece, The Book of Mary, was featured in the February 2025 issue of The New York Times Book Review (NYTBR) magazine.
The New York Times Book Review is a weekly magazine supplement included in the Sunday edition of The New York Times, where professional critics review current fiction and nonfiction books. It is considered one of the most influential and widely read book review publications in the world. Essentially, it serves as a dedicated section within the newspaper, offering in-depth analyses of new books.
NYTBR is a highly regarded weekly magazine devoted to literary criticism, featuring reviews, essays, and interviews about newly published books across various genres. As part of The New York Times, it plays a significant role in shaping literary trends and influencing readers’ choices. Covering fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children’s literature, the magazine offers in-depth analyses by esteemed critics and authors.
One of its most notable features is The New York Times Best Seller list, a benchmark for commercial and critical success in the publishing industry. Additionally, its “By the Book” column provides insight into the reading habits of renowned writers. With its long-standing reputation and broad readership, NYTBR continues to be a major force in the literary world, guiding both casual readers and literary enthusiasts in discovering new and noteworthy books.
Michael P. Closs is a retired professor at the University of Ottawa, Canada. He is also a Catholic deacon who has served in both Canada and Mexico. Closs’ work is thoroughly researched and carefully crafted. He opens with background on the Gospel of Mark, who likely drew primarily from the Protoevangelium, especially in relation to the Messianic Secret. After this introduction, Closs presents the Protoevangelium itself, based on Mary’s testimony regarding her birth, childhood, Immaculate Conception, and the birth of Jesus. The full text is included, with footnotes for each verse providing historical context, biblical parallels between Mary’s story and Old Testament figures, semantic insights, and interpretations of key events.
The Book of Mary (Second Edition) by Michael P. Closs takes a fresh, critical look at the Protevangelium of James, one of the earliest texts detailing the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Closs meticulously analyzes historical manuscripts, including Syriac and Greek sources, to explore how this ancient work influenced early Christian beliefs and shaped traditions about Mary’s life, from her miraculous birth to her role in the story of Jesus.
The US Review of Books (USRB) recommends The Book of Mary: A Commentary on the Protoevangelium of James, Edition 2 by Michael P. Closs. Here’s a review from the USRB that highlights:
“This is a thorough, insightful, and diligent commentary on an ancient text that is not widely known yet forms the basis of the Gospel stories Christians are intimately familiar with. Closs gently encourages readers to think critically about the stories they may have taken for granted, to ‘insert ourselves into the narrative,’ as he states at one point. He shows great compassion for the historical figures, noting, for example, that the Immaculate Conception of Mary ‘would be a nightmare for any woman, to find herself pregnant and not know how it happened. The entire scene is very spiritually painful to both Joseph and Mary.’ He provides bold critiques of other scholars but offers sufficient evidence to back up his conclusions. He also anticipates criticism of his own positions by preemptively providing solid resources and background for his arguments. He guides readers step-by-step through a meticulously crafted commentary, into which he evidently poured his heart and soul. It is a beautiful guide for anyone interested in delving more deeply into the origins of Christianity.”