Description
Maryam, Beloved of God
by Camille Hamilton Adams Helminski
THE WAY OF MARY, MARYAM, BELOVED OF GOD is a weaving of strands from ancient sources, traditional stories, poetry, and prayers of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, and beyond (with full colour illustrations), to reveal, through the illuminated being and twelve life stations of Beloved Mary, the palpable Oneness of all Creation, our Oneness in Spirit. Drawing on passages from the Quran, the Bible, poetry of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi and inspirations of other mystics (Jewish, Christian, and Muslim), classical Islamic sources and ancient Biblical texts, oral traditions recorded by hearts across the centuries such as the Protoevangelium of James and the Lives of the Prophets of al-Tha‘labi, and Biblical apocrypha such as the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, with awareness of all the elements of nature that rose up in support of Beloved Mary through the stages of her journey, Camille Helminski weaves together a fabric of love to embrace us with healing and new life.
Testimonials
Revered across the family of Abraham and Sarah, adored as Miriam, Mary, Maryam, Madre Maria, there is no other single figure who so universally serves to lift up the weary heart of the world, blessing us with lovingkindness and infusing us with hope. With her signature blend of sublime wisdom and grounded scholarship, beloved Sufi teacher Camille Helminski offers a penetrating and life-giving transmission of Maryam as guide to the awakening of the soul, during a time when we need her most.
~ Mirabai Starr, author of God of Love and Wild Mercy
I have read numerous books on the Holy Mother in Her many guises: Kali, Chochma, Sarada Devi, Shechinah, Avalokiteshvara, and of course Mary, but none was as striking, profound, and potentially heart-transforming as Camille Helminski’s The Way of Mary. This book, steeped in wisdom, is a book to be savored. I cannot recommend it more highly.
~ Rabbi Rami Shapiro, author of The Divine Feminine in Biblical Wisdom Literature
What beautiful blessedness: the wise and gentle heart of Mary mirrored in the wise and gentle heart of Camille Helminski.
~ The Rev. Dr. Cynthia Bourgeault, author of The Wisdom Jesus and The Meaning of Mary Magdalene
I would like to thank Camille Hanim for bringing us Hazreti Meryem’s fragrance full of patience, compassion, mercy, and knowing. Camille Hanim has done a great service to humanity by writing this book—the fact that she quotes from the Bible, the Quran and the Masnavi is very important in terms of realizing that all paths lead to the One. Even though the paths are different, the destination is the same.
~ Esin Celebi Bayru, 22nd generation granddaughter of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi; Vice President, International Mevlana Foundation
Camille Helminski’s The Way of Mary is a lovely and welcome addition to the deep dialogue of the spirit shared between Muslims and Christians. The Qur’an uses the exact same verb to talk about Mary being “chosen and purified” as that of the most common honorific for the Prophet Muhammad, Mustapha. Indeed, one could say that there is a close association between Mary and Muhammad, in that the former receives God’s Word (Jesus) into her pure womb, and the latter God’s Word (the Qur’an) into his luminous heart. Deeply rooted in the Qur’an and the Sufi tradition, The Way of Mary is a beautiful way of accessing the rich waters of life that are shared across our tradition, and is highly recommended to all spiritual seekers.
~ Omid Safi, Professor of Islamic Studies at Duke University; Founder, Illuminated Courses and Tours
This priceless book is a treasure trove of precious insights, heartfelt poetry, sacred verses and meticulous scholarship. These elements exquisitely woven into twelve chapters uniquely and profoundly enrich our mind, purify our heart and exalt our soul. Our beings feel deeply grateful to be graced and blessed by beauty and a rare taste of the sacred.
~ Imam Jamal Rahman, Interfaith Community Sanctuary
This is a remarkable book, both a scholarly investigation and a treasure of meditative devotion. Camille Helminski moves back and forth between the differing but related stories of Maryam in the Quran, and Mary in the Christian New Testament, considering both texts in sensitive scholarly detail, from her Conception to the end of Beloved Maryam’s life. But the spirit of the book is a loving tribute to Maryam/Mary, evoking the perfume of this Blessed Mother through Camille’s deep devotion and love. As a longtime lover of Sufism and now Christian Catholicism, I marvel at Camille’s capacity to consider Maryam/Mary in such depth with honor to both these rich streams of wisdom.
~ Sara K. Winter, Ph.D., Former Faculty Member, Antioch University, Los Angeles
Camille Hamilton Adams Helminski’s book The Way of Mary is a beautifully written and researched account of a holy woman of significance to the three Abrahamic religions. She artfully weaves together accounts of Mary’s life from the Christian and Islamic traditions. Having been deeply immersed in Hinduism for most of my life, I knew little about Mary. But I feel deeply the importance today of bringing to the fore accounts of the lives and teachings of the female Masters from all traditions. And so through this narrative, I was pleased to meet Mary and learn of her complete devotion to and absorption in the Divine Reality. There are many beautiful metaphors in the book but one of the most touching and relevant today is the account of Mary during the travails of childbirth reaching out to a palm tree for strength. In this mutual exchange, she revives a withered branch and it becomes fruitful, while the tree grants her the strength she needs to endure the pain of childbirth. How appropriate this metaphor is for us today, as we seek to birth a new, ecological and dharmic civilization. It is perhaps our battered nature that can give us the strength and wisdom we need for this endeavor.
~ Dena Merriam, Founder & Convener, The Global Peace Initiative of Women; author, The Untold Story of Sita
The Way of Mary, Maryam, Beloved of God is an incredible offering of holy wisdom, scholarship, poetry, art, and song that brings Beloved Mary to life as a multidimensional Woman of God. Within these pages her story seems fresh, even new. For anyone unfamiliar with Mary this book is a rich introduction. Beloved Mary’s story in the Torah, Psalms, Gospel, Quran, and other sources is interwoven to carry us on a journey from her pre-birth to after-death, thus offering a holistic view of her continuum, allowing the reader a deeper sense of the Beloved Lady, and quite possibly a deeper sense of Self in relation to this Love story.
~ Aliya Kocamis, Member, the Threshold Society
Bless our beloved companion Camille for bringing together these wondrous, deeply moving, and inspiring accounts of the Blessed Virgin as recorded by the People of the Book. Muslims regard her as the highest woman of all Creation and as an example of how to BE for men and women alike. Through her gentle and beautiful prose and poetry, Camille—who herself radiates the Marian presence—has conveyed a special guidance to us all by fleshing out our knowledge of Blessed Mary in this exquisitely illustrated and precious volume. Truly a treasure!!
~ Virginia Gray Henry, Director, Fons Vitae Publishing
Camille Helminski’s The Way of Mary is far more than an exquisitely written, profoundly researched exploration of Mary’s presence and power in the Abrahamic traditions. It is nothing less than a sustained act of adoration by a great mystic who knows the Mother from years of deep devotion. This is an indispensable book for all lovers of the divine feminine, especially those who love Mary and want to enter her subtle and ever available grace and love. Read it, treasure it, follow the stages so beautifully set out that lead you into the depth of who Mary is and who you can be if you allow yourself to be permeated, sustained and ennobled by her grace. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
~ Andrew Harvey, author of Return of the Mother and The Hope
As a Muslim long-engaged in interreligious dialogue with Christians and Jews, I believe that Mary, the Jewish Mother of Jesus, venerated by the Qur’an as the most elevated amongst all women, forms a most powerful link between Islam and Christianity. I call her Hazrat Bibi Maryam, a prophet who combined perfect submission to God with love and grace for all Children of Adam. I endorse The Way of Mary, Maryam, Beloved of God with deep gratitude to Camille Helminski for this extraordinary wide-ranging narrative of devotion to Mary-Maryam which will illumine the hearts of all who will read this book.
~ Riffat Hassan, Professor Emerita University of Louisville, Founder of The Salaam Network
A brilliant, timely and important offering for humanity. Camille Hamilton Adams Helminski weaves a beautifully synthesized bridge of Love connecting multiple faith traditions with the souls of the pure of heart in loving remembrance of Divine blessed Mary. Masterfully researched and brought to life in a time when Love is needed most.
~ Lisa Ferraro, Founder and Spiritual Director of SoulCall Global
