Mary in Patristics

Mariological reflection in some second-century Fathers is introduced, especially the parallel with Eve; this explicit reflection on Mary is set beside second-century reflection on the Church as Virgin Mother, a tradition only later explicitly related to Mary as Virgin Mother. Attention is paid to the second-century Protevangelium of James with its remarkably developed Mariology; the nature of its esotericism is discussed, and later apocryphal texts introduced. Other tantalizing hints of devotion to Mary are mentioned, not least the use of the title Theotokos in a prayer belonging, possibly, to the third century. Mary’s virginity as an ascetic model in the fourth-century ascetic movement is briefly discussed. The first elaborate celebration of Mary is found in the liturgical poetry of the fourth-century Ephrem the Syrian. Mariology developed dramatically from the fifth century, witnessed in Proklos’ homilies, Romanos’ Kontakia, and the Akathist Hymn.

Mary in the Apocrypha

References to Mary of Nazareth are plentiful in Christian apocryphal texts. The canonical gospels say little about her life before the birth of Jesus, and less still about what happened to her after Jesus’ death. Christian imagination filled in these gaps in Mary’s biography while also introducing some key aspects of doctrine. The chapter covers in detail the two key Marian apocryphal texts: the Protevangelium of James and the Dormition of the Virgin. Included also are numerous texts that expand and reflect upon her birth and early life, upon her role as the mother of Jesus, and upon her depiction as a mediator between God and humanity. Attention is paid also to the composite Mary found in gnostic texts, and to efforts at combining apocryphal texts of Mary into comprehensive biographies. The chapter aims to be descriptive about the texts that are available for study while also reflective of their importance for the history of Marian devotion.