In the Bible-belt town where I grew up, the virgin Mary had her annual fifteen minutes of fame when December rolled around. You had your shepherds, your angels, and your young maiden kneeling beside the swaddled babe. But after the presents were unwrapped and the nativity brouhaha had quieted down, Mary drifted back into the shadows. Why the Catholics made such a big deal about her never made sense to my Baptist mind. Yes, of course, she had a heart-warming part to play in the Jesus story, but to me, she was merely a minor character. My appreciation for Mary’s...