''Theotokos'' (
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
: ) is a
title of
Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in
Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are ''Dei Genitrix'' or ''
Deipara
''Deiparae Virginis Mariae'' (Latin for "Virgin Mary Mother of God"), is an encyclical of Pope Pius XII released in 1946 addressed to all Catholic bishops on the possibility of defining the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a dogma of faith ...
'' (approximately "parent (fem.) of
God
In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...
"). Familiar English translations are "Mother of God" or "God-bearer" – but these both have different literal equivalents in Greek, Μήτηρ Θεοῦ and
Θεοφόρος ("Who gave birth to one who was God", "Whose child was God", respectively).
The title has been in use since the 3rd century, in the
Syriac tradition (as ) in the
Liturgy of Mari and Addai (3rd century)
[''Addai and Mari, Liturgy of''. Cross, F. L., ed. ''The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church''. Oxford University Press. 2005. ] and the
Liturgy of St James
The Liturgy of Saint James is a form of Christian liturgy used by some Eastern Christians of the Byzantine rite and West Syriac Rite. It is developed from an ancient Egyptian form of the Basilean anaphoric family, and is influenced by the traditi ...
(4th century). The
Council of Ephesus in AD 431 decreed that Mary is the ''Theotokos'' because Her Son
Jesus is
both God and man: one divine person from two natures (divine and human) intimately and
hypostatically united.
The title of Mother of God (Greek: ) or Mother of
Incarnate God; abbreviated ΜΡ ΘΥ (first and last letter of each word in Greek), is most often used in
English, largely due to the lack of a satisfactory equivalent of the Greek τόκος. For the same reason, the title is often left untranslated, as "Theotokos", in Orthodox liturgical usage of other languages.
''Theotokos'' is also used as the term for an Eastern
icon, or type of icon, of the Mother with Child (typically called a ''
Madonna'' in western tradition), as in "the
Theotokos of Vladimir
, other_title_1 = Our Lady of Vladimir
, other_language_2 = uk, Вишгородська ікона Божої Матері
, other_title_2 = Vyshgorod Mother of God
, wikidata = Q546241
, image = Virgin of Vladimir.jpg
, image_upright = 1
...
" both for the original 12th-century icon and for icons that are copies or imitate its composition.
Terminology
Theotokos is an
adjectival compound of two Greek words Θεός "God" and τόκος "childbirth, parturition; offspring". A close paraphrase would be "
hewhose offspring is God" or "
hewho gave birth to one who was God". The usual English translation is simply "Mother of God"; Latin uses ''Deipara'' or ''Dei Genitrix''.
The
Church Slavonic translation is ''Bogoroditsa'' (Russian/Serbian/Bulgarian ). The full title of Mary in Slavic Orthodox tradition is (Russian ), from Greek "Our Most Holy Lady Theotokos and
Ever-Virgin Mary". German has the translation ''Gottesgebärerin'' (lit. "bearer of God").
"Mother of God" is the literal translation of a distinct title in Greek, Μήτηρ τοῦ Θεοῦ (translit. ''Mētēr tou Theou''), a term which has an established usage of its own in traditional Orthodox and Catholic theological writing, hymnography, and iconography.
In an abbreviated form, (), it often is found on Eastern icons, where it is used to identify Mary. The Russian term is (also ).
Variant forms are the compounds Θεομήτωρ (translit. ''Theomētōr''; also spelled Θεομήτηρ, translit. ''Theomētēr'') and Μητρόθεος (translit. ''Mētrotheos''), which are found in patristic and liturgical texts.
The theological dispute over the term concerned the term Θεός "God" vs. Χριστός "
Christ", and not τόκος (''genitrix'', "bearer") vs. μήτηρ (''mater'', "mother"), and the two terms have been used as synonyms throughout Christian tradition. Both terms are known to have existed alongside one another since the early church, but it has been argued, even in modern times, that the term "Mother of God" is unduly suggestive of Godhead having its origin in Mary, imparting to Mary the role of a
Mother Goddess. But this is an exact reiteration of the objection by
Nestorius
Nestorius (; in grc, Νεστόριος; 386 – 451) was the Archbishop of Constantinople from 10 April 428 to August 431. A Christian theologian, several of his teachings in the fields of Christology and Mariology were seen as contr ...
, resolved in the 5th century, to the effect that the term "Mother" expresses exactly the relation of Mary to the
incarnate
Incarnation literally means ''embodied in flesh'' or ''taking on flesh''. It refers to the conception and the embodiment of a deity or spirit in some earthly form or the appearance of a god as a human. If capitalized, it is the union of divinit ...
Son ascribed to Mary in Christian theology.
Theology
Theologically, the terms "Mother of God", "Mother of Incarnate God" (and its variants) should not be taken to imply that Mary is the source of the divine nature of Jesus, who Christians believe existed with the Father from all eternity.
Within the Orthodox and Catholic tradition, ''Mother of God'' has not been understood, nor been intended to be understood, as referring to Mary as Mother of God ''from eternity'' — that is, as Mother of God the Father — but only with reference to the birth of
Jesus, that is, the
Incarnation.
To make it explicit, it is sometimes translated ''Mother of God Incarnate''. (cf. the topic of
Christology, and the titles of
God the Son and
Son of man).
The
Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed
The original Nicene Creed (; grc-gre, Σύμβολον τῆς Νικαίας; la, Symbolum Nicaenum) was first adopted at the First Council of Nicaea in 325. In 381, it was amended at the First Council of Constantinople. The amended form is ...
of 381 affirmed the Christian faith on "one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father
before all worlds (æons)", that "came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the
Holy Ghost
For the majority of Christian denominations, the Holy Spirit, or Holy Ghost, is believed to be the third person of the Trinity, a Triune God manifested as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, each entity itself being God.Gru ...
and of the Virgin Mary, and was made man". Since that time, the expression "Mother of God" referred to the
Dyophysite doctrine of the
hypostatic union, about the uniqueness with the twofold nature of Jesus Christ God, which is both human and divine (nature distincted, but not separable nor mixed). Since that time, Jesus was affirmed as true Man and true God from all eternity.
The status of Mary as ''Theotokos'' was a topic of theological dispute in the 4th and 5th centuries and was
the subject of the decree of the
Council of Ephesus of 431 to the effect that, in opposition to those who denied Mary the title ''Theotokos'' ("the one who gives birth to God") but called her ''Christotokos'' ("the one who gives birth to Christ"), Mary ''is'' ''Theotokos'' because her son Jesus is one person who is both God and man, divine and human.
This decree created the
Nestorian Schism.
Cyril of Alexandria wrote, "I am amazed that there are some who are entirely in doubt as to whether the holy Virgin should be called ''Theotokos'' or not. For if our Lord Jesus Christ is God, how is the holy Virgin who gave
imbirth, not
'Theotokos''" (Epistle 1, to the monks of Egypt;
PG 77:13B). But the argument of
Nestorius
Nestorius (; in grc, Νεστόριος; 386 – 451) was the Archbishop of Constantinople from 10 April 428 to August 431. A Christian theologian, several of his teachings in the fields of Christology and Mariology were seen as contr ...
was that divine and human natures of Christ were distinct, and while Mary is evidently the ''
Christotokos
Christotokos ( Greek: , English: ''Christ-bearer'') is a Greek title of Mary, the mother of Jesus, used historically by non-Ephesian (or "Nestorian") Church of the East. Its literal English translations also include ''the one who gives birth to ...
'' (bearer of Christ), it could be misleading to describe her as the "bearer of God". At issue is the interpretation of the
Incarnation, and the nature of the
hypostatic union of Christ's human and divine natures between Christ's
conception and
birth
Birth is the act or process of bearing or bringing forth offspring, also referred to in technical contexts as parturition. In mammals, the process is initiated by hormones which cause the muscular walls of the uterus to contract, expelling the f ...
.
Within the Orthodox doctrinal teaching on the
economy of salvation, Mary's identity, role, and status as ''Theotokos'' is acknowledged as indispensable. For this reason, it is formally defined as official
dogma. The only other
Mariological teaching so defined is that of her virginity. Both of these teachings have a bearing on the identity of Jesus Christ. By contrast, certain other
Marian
Marian may refer to:
People
* Mari people, a Finno-Ugric ethnic group in Russia
* Marian (given name), a list of people with the given name
* Marian (surname), a list of people so named
Places
* Marian, Iran (disambiguation)
* Marian, Queenslan ...
beliefs which do not bear directly on the doctrine concerning the person of Jesus (for example, her sinlessness, the circumstances surrounding her
conception and
birth
Birth is the act or process of bearing or bringing forth offspring, also referred to in technical contexts as parturition. In mammals, the process is initiated by hormones which cause the muscular walls of the uterus to contract, expelling the f ...
, her
Presentation in the Temple, her continuing
virginity following the birth of Jesus, and her
death
Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
), which are taught and believed by the Orthodox Church (being expressed in the Church's liturgy and patristic writings), are not formally defined by the Church.
History of use
Early Church
The term was certainly in use by the 4th century.
Athanasius of Alexandria in 330,
Gregory the Theologian in 370,
John Chrysostom in 400, and
Augustine all used ''theotokos''.
Origen (d. 254) is often cited as the earliest author to use ''theotokos'' for Mary (Socrates, ''Ecclesiastical History'' 7.32 (
PG 67, 812 B) citing Origen's ''Commentary on Romans''). Although this testimony is uncertain, the term was used c. 250 by
Dionysius of Alexandria, in an epistle to
Paul of Samosata
Paul of Samosata ( grc-gre, Παῦλος ὁ Σαμοσατεύς, lived from 200 to 275 AD) was Bishop of Antioch from 260 to 268 and the originator of the Paulianist heresy named after him. He was a believer in monarchianism, a nontrinitarian ...
.
[.]
The oldest preserved extant hymn dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Ὑπὸ τὴν σὴν εὐσπλαγχνίαν (English: "Beneath thy Compassion," Latin: ''
Sub tuum praesidium'',) has been continually prayed and sung for at least sixteen centuries, in the original
Koine Greek vocative, as ΘΕΟΤΟΚΕ. The oldest record of this hymn is a papyrus found in Egypt, mostly dated to after 450, but according to a suggestion by de Villiers (2011) possibly older, dating to the mid-3rd century.
[
]
Third Ecumenical Council
The use of ''Theotokos'' was formally affirmed at the Third Ecumenical Council held at Ephesus in 431. It proclaimed that Mary truly became the Mother of God by the human conception of the Son of God in her womb:
The competing view, advocated by Patriarch Nestorius
Nestorius (; in grc, Νεστόριος; 386 – 451) was the Archbishop of Constantinople from 10 April 428 to August 431. A Christian theologian, several of his teachings in the fields of Christology and Mariology were seen as contr ...
of Constantinople, was that Mary should be called ''Christotokos'', meaning "Birth-giver of Christ," to restrict her role to the mother of Christ's humanity only and not his divine nature.
Nestorius' opponents, led by Cyril of Alexandria, viewed this as dividing Jesus into two distinct persons, the human who was Son of Mary, and the divine who was not. To them, this was unacceptable since by destroying the perfect union of the divine and human natures in Christ, it sabotaged the fullness of the Incarnation and, by extension, the salvation of humanity. The council accepted Cyril's reasoning, affirmed the title ''Theotokos'' for Mary, and anathema
Anathema, in common usage, is something or someone detested or shunned. In its other main usage, it is a formal excommunication. The latter meaning, its ecclesiastical sense, is based on New Testament usage. In the Old Testament, anathema was a cr ...
tized Nestorius' view as heresy. (See Nestorianism)
In letters to Nestorius which were afterwards included among the council documents, Cyril explained his doctrine. He noted that "the holy fathers... have ventured to call the holy Virgin ''Theotokos'', not as though the nature of the Word or his divinity received the beginning of their existence from the holy Virgin, but because from her was born his holy body, rationally endowed with a soul, with which the Word was united according to the hypostasis, and is said to have been begotten according to the flesh" (Cyril's second letter to Nestorius).
Explaining his rejection of Nestorius' preferred title for Mary (''Christotokos''), Cyril wrote:
Confessing the Word to be united with the flesh according to the hypostasis, we worship one Son and Lord, Jesus Christ. We do not divide him into parts and separate man and God as though they were united with each other nlythrough a unity of dignity and authority... nor do we name separately Christ the Word from God, and in similar fashion, separately, another Christ from the woman, but we know only one Christ, the Word from God the Father with his own flesh... But we do not say that the Word from God dwelt as in an ordinary human born of the holy virgin... we understand that, when he became flesh, not in the same way as he is said to dwell among the saints do we distinguish the manner of the indwelling; but he was united by nature and not turned into flesh... There is, then, one Christ and Son and Lord, not with the sort of conjunction that a human being might have with God as in a unity of dignity or authority; for equality of honor does not unite natures. For Peter and John were equal to each other in honor, both of them being apostles and holy disciples, but the two were not one. Nor do we understand the manner of conjunction to be one of juxtaposition, for this is insufficient in regard to natural union.... Rather we reject the term 'conjunction' as being inadequate to express the union... e holy virgin gave birth in the flesh to God united with the flesh according to hypostasis, for that reason we call her ''Theotokos''... If anyone does not confess that Emmanuel is, in truth, God, and therefore that the holy virgin is ''Theotokos'' (for she bore in a fleshly manner the Word from God become flesh), let him be anathema. (Cyril's third letter to Nestorius)
Nestorian Schism
The Nestorian Church, known as the Church of the East within the Syrian tradition, rejected the decision of the Council of Ephesus and its confirmation at the Council of Chalcedon in 451. This was the church of the Sassanid Empire during the late 5th and early 6th centuries. The schism ended in 544, when patriarch Aba I
Aba I (or, with his Syriac honorific, Mar Aba I) or Mar Abba the Great was the List of Patriarchs of the Church of the East, Patriarch of the Church of the East at Seleucia-Ctesiphon from 540 to 552. He introduced to the church the Anaphora (litu ...
ratified the decision of Chalcedon. After this, there was no longer technically any "Nestorian Church", i.e. a church following the doctrine of Nestorianism, although legends persisted that still further to the east such a church was still in existence (associated in particular with the figure of Prester John
Prester John ( la, Presbyter Ioannes) was a legendary Christian patriarch, presbyter, and king. Stories popular in Europe in the 12th to the 17th centuries told of a Nestorian patriarch and king who was said to rule over a Christian nation lost ...
), and the label of "Nestorian" continued to be applied even though it was technically no longer correct. Modern research suggests that also the Church of the East in China did not teach a doctrine of two distinct natures of Christ."
Reformation
Lutheran tradition retained the title of "Mother of God" (German ''Mutter Gottes'', ''Gottesmutter''), a term already embraced by Martin Luther; and officially confessed in the Formula of Concord
Formula of Concord (1577) (German, ''Konkordienformel''; Latin, ''Formula concordiae''; also the "''Bergic Book''" or the "''Bergen Book''") is an authoritative Lutheran statement of faith (called a confession, creed, or "symbol") that, in its tw ...
(1577), accepted by Lutheran World Federation.
Calvin rejected calling Mary the "mother of God," saying, "I cannot think such language either right, or becoming, or suitable. ... To call the Virgin Mary the mother of God can only serve to confirm the ignorant in their superstitions."
20th century
In 1994, Pope John Paul II and Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East Mar Dinkha IV signed an ecumenical declaration, mutually recognizing the legitimacy of the titles "Mother of God" and "Mother of Christ." The declaration reiterates the Christological formulations of the Council of Chalcedon as a theological expression of the faith shared by both Churches, at the same time respecting the preference of each Church in using these titles in their liturgical life and piety.
Liturgy
''Theotokos'' is often used in hymns to Mary
Marian hymns are Christian songs focused on Mary, mother of Jesus. They are used in both devotional and liturgical services, particularly by the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran churches. They are often used in the mon ...
in the Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism.
Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or " canonical ...
, Eastern Catholic
The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also called the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches, Eastern Rite Catholicism, or simply the Eastern Churches, are 23 Eastern Christian autonomous (''sui iuris'') particular churches of ...
and Oriental Orthodox churches. The most common is ''Axion Estin
''Axion estin'' (Greek: , Slavonic: Достóйно éсть, ''Dostóino yesť''), or It is Truly Meet, is a megalynarion and a theotokion, i.e. a magnification of and a Hymn to Mary used in the Divine Services of the Eastern Orthodox and ...
'' (''It is truly meet''), which is used in nearly every service.
Other examples include '' Sub tuum praesidium'', the '' Hail Mary'' in its Eastern form, and ''All creation rejoices'', which replaces ''Axion Estin'' at the Divine Liturgy on the Sundays of Great Lent.
'' Bogurodzica'' is a medieval Polish hymn, possibly composed by Adalbert of Prague
Adalbert of Prague ( la, Sanctus Adalbertus, cs, svatý Vojtěch, sk, svätý Vojtech, pl, święty Wojciech, hu, Szent Adalbert (Béla); 95623 April 997), known in the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia by his birth name Vojtěch ( la, ...
(d. 997).
The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
The Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God is a feast day of the Blessed Virgin Mary under the aspect of her motherhood of Jesus Christ, whom she had circumcised on the eighth day after his birth according to Levitical Law. Christians see him ...
is a Roman Catholic feast day introduced in 1969, based on older traditions associating 1 January with the motherhood of Mary.
Iconography
One of the two earliest known depictions of the Virgin Mary is found in the Catacomb of Priscilla (3rd century) showing the adoration of the Magi. Recent conservation work at the Catacombs of Priscilla revealed that what had been identified for decades as the earliest image of the Virgin and Child was actually a traditional funerary image of a Roman matron; the pointing figure with her, formerly identified as a prophet, was shown to have had its arm position adjusted and the star he was supposedly pointing to was painted in at a later date. The putative Annunciation scene at Priscilla is also now recognized as yet another Roman matron with accompanying figure and not the Virgin Mary. Recently another third-century image of the Virgin Mary was identified at the eastern Syrian site of Dura Europos in the baptistry room of the earliest known Christian Church. The scene shows the Annunciation to the Virgin.
The tradition of Marian veneration was greatly expanded only with the affirmation of her status as ''Theotokos'' in 431. The mosaics in Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, dating from 432 to 40, just after the council, does not yet show her with a halo
Halo, halos or haloes usually refer to:
* Halo (optical phenomenon)
* Halo (religious iconography), a ring of light around the image of a head
HALO, halo, halos or haloes may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Video games
* ''Halo'' (franch ...
. The iconographic tradition of the ''Theotokos'' or Madonna (Our Lady), showing the Virgin enthroned carrying the infant Christ, is established by the following century, as attested by a very small number of surviving icons, including one at Saint Catherine's Monastery in Sinai, and Salus Populi Romani
''Salus Populi Romani'' (''Protectress'', or more literally ''health'' or ''salvation'', ''of the Roman People'') is a Roman Catholic title associated with the venerated image of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Rome. This Byzantine icon of the Mad ...
, a 5th or 6th-century Byzantine icon preserved in Rome. This type of depiction, with subtly changing differences of emphasis, has remained the mainstay of depictions of Mary to the present day. The roughly half-dozen varied icons of the Virgin and Child in Rome from the 6th to 8th centuries form the majority of the representations surviving from this period, as most early Byzantine icons were destroyed in the Byzantine Iconoclasm of the 8th and 9th century, notable exceptions being the 7th-century ''Blachernitissa
Blachernitissa ( el, Βλαχερνίτισσα), also called Theotokos of Blachernae (Θεοτόκος των Βλαχερνών, Θεοτόκος η Βλαχερνίτισσα) or Our Lady of Blachernae (Παναγία η Βλαχερνίτι� ...
'' and '' Agiosoritissa''.
The iconographic tradition is well developed by the early medieval period. The tradition of Luke the Evangelist being the first to have painted Mary is established by the 8th century.[Michele Bacci, ''Il pennello dell'Evangelista. Storia delle immagini sacre attribuite a san Luca'' (Pisa: Gisem, 1998).]
An early icon of the Virgin as queen is in the church of Santa Maria in Trastevere in Rome, datable to 705-707 by the kneeling figure of Pope John VII
Pope John VII ( la, Ioannes VII; c. 650 – 18 October 707) was the bishop of Rome from 1 March 705 to his death. He was an ethnic Greek, one of the Byzantine popes, but had better relations with the Lombards, who ruled much of Italy, than with ...
, a notable promoter of the cult of the Virgin, to whom the infant Christ reaches his hand.
The earliest surviving image in a Western illuminated manuscript of the Madonna and Child
In art, a Madonna () is a representation of Mary, either alone or with her child Jesus. These images are central icons for both the Catholic and Orthodox churches. The word is (archaic). The Madonna and Child type is very prevalent i ...
comes from the Book of Kells of about 800 (there is a similar carved image on the lid of St Cuthbert's coffin of 698).
The oldest Russian icons were imports from Byzantium, beginning in the 11th century.
Gallery
File:Virgin salus populi romani.jpg, Salus Populi Romani
''Salus Populi Romani'' (''Protectress'', or more literally ''health'' or ''salvation'', ''of the Roman People'') is a Roman Catholic title associated with the venerated image of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Rome. This Byzantine icon of the Mad ...
, Rome (5th or 6th century)
File:Encaustic Virgin.jpg, Theotokos icon of Saint Catherine's Monastery, Sinai (6th century)
File:Vlahernskaya.jpg, Blachernae Icon of the Theotokos (7th century)
File:Byzantinischer Mosaizist des 12. Jahrhunderts 002.jpg, ''Mother of God'', mosaic icon, Hagia Sophia (12th century)
File:VergineTricherusa.jpg, ''Trojeručica
''Bogorodica Trojeručica'' (Serbian Cyrillic: Богородица Тројеручица, Greek: Παναγία Τριχερούσα, Panagia Tricherousa, meaning ''"Three-handed Theotokos"'') or simply ''Trojeručica'' (Тројеручица, ...
'', (c. 8th century), Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...
File:Gelati Theotokos.jpg, mosaic (ca 1130), Gelati Monastery, Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
(12th century)
File:The Mother of God Trenousa (17-18. century).jpg, Theotokos icon (17-18. century), National Museum of Serbia
The National Museum of Serbia ( sr, / ) is the largest and oldest museum in Belgrade, Serbia. It is located in the central zone of Belgrade on a square plot between the Republic Square, formerly Theatre Square, and three streets: Čika Ljubina ...
Russian icons
Image:Theotokos Iverskaya.jpg, The '' Iveron Theotokos'' (''Iverskaya''), an 11th-century Russian icon
The use and making of icons entered Kievan Rus', Ancient Rus' following its conversion to Eastern Orthodox Church, Orthodox Christianity in AD 988. As a general rule, these icons strictly followed models and formulas hallowed by Byzantine art, led ...
based on the 10th-century '' Hodegetria'' type, Iviron Monastery, Mount Athos.
Image:Svenskaya.jpg, ''Theotokos Panachranta'' from Svensky Monastery
Svensky Monastery (Russian: Свенский монастырь) is a Russian Orthodox monastery located at the confluence of the Desna and Sven Rivers, three miles from Bryansk, Russia. The monastery was originally known as Svinsky, after the Svi ...
, by St. Alypios of Kiev (11th century)
Image:Panachranta.jpg, ''Panachranta Theotokos
Panachranta (from el, πανάχραντος "all-immaculate") is a type of icon in the Eastern Orthodox Church, that refers to the ''all immaculate'' Virgin Mary, the Theotokos.
Description
Panachranta type icons depict the royally enthroned M ...
'', mid-11th-century Kievan illumination from the Gertrude Psalter.
Image:Vladimirskaya.jpg, ''Theotokos of Vladimir
, other_title_1 = Our Lady of Vladimir
, other_language_2 = uk, Вишгородська ікона Божої Матері
, other_title_2 = Vyshgorod Mother of God
, wikidata = Q546241
, image = Virgin of Vladimir.jpg
, image_upright = 1
...
'' (c. 1100)
File:Fedorovskaya3.jpg, '' Theotokos of St. Theodore'' (12th century)
Image:Our Lady Derzhavnaya.jpg, Our Lady Derzhavnaya
Our Lady Derzhavnaya ("The Sovereign", "The Reigning Icon") is a Russian icon believed to date from the 18th century. According to Irina Yazykova, the Reigning Icon, "remains one of the most revered both inside Russia and in Russian emigre circles ...
(18th century)
File:Neuvyadaemii cvet.jpg, Bogomater of the "Unfading Flower" (Неувядаемый Цвет) type (18th century, Tretyakov Gallery
The State Tretyakov Gallery (russian: Государственная Третьяковская Галерея, ''Gosudarstvennaya Tretyâkovskaya Galereya''; abbreviated ГТГ, ''GTG'') is an art gallery in Moscow, Russia, which is considered th ...
)
See also
* Anthropotokos
''Anthropotokos'' (Greek: ἀνθρωποτόκος) is a title that was ascribed to Mary the Mother of Jesus by certain Christians around the time of the Nestorian debates. It literally means "the one who gives birth to a man" ( ἄνθρωπος, ...
* Hymns to Mary
Marian hymns are Christian songs focused on Mary, mother of Jesus. They are used in both devotional and liturgical services, particularly by the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran churches. They are often used in the mon ...
* Mother of the Church
*Perpetual virginity of Mary
The perpetual virginity of Mary is a Christian doctrine that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a virgin before, during and after the birth of Christ. In Western Christianity, the Catholic Church adheres to the doctrine, as do some Lutherans, Anglic ...
Notes
References
Further reading
* Maunder, Chris (ed.), ''The Origins of the Cult of the Virgin Mary '', (2008, burns & oates/continuumbooks).
* Artemi, Eirini, "The mystery of the incarnation into dialogues "de incarnatione Unigenitii" and "Quod unus sit Christus" of St. Cyril of Alexandria", Ecclesiastic Faros of Alexandria, ΟΕ (2004), 145–277.
* Cyril of Alexandria, ''On the Unity of Christ'', John Anthony McGuckin, trans.
* Cyril of Alexandria, ''Against Those Who Are Unwilling to Confess That the Holy Virgin Is Theotokos'', George Dion Dragas, edit. & trans.
* McGuckin, John Anthony, ''St. Cyril of Alexandria: The Christological Controversy'' (1994, and reprinted 2004) A full description of the events of Third Ecumenical Council and the people and issues involved.
* Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco
Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco (russian: Иоанн Шанхайский и Сан Францисский, Ioann Shankhayskiyi i San Frantsiskyi; secular name Mikhail Borisovich Maximovitch, russian: Михаил Борисович Ма ...
,""The Orthodox Veneration of Mary, The Birth Giver of God"(2004, Sixth Printing, Third Edition).
* Ware, Bishop Kallistos, "The Orthodox Way" (1979, Revised Edition, 1995, and reprinted 1999).
External links
Theotokos article
on th
''Orthodox Wiki''
Resources on the Theotokos
by St. Nectarios
The rejection of the term Theotokos by Nestorius Constantinople and the refutation of his teaching by Cyril of Alexandria
Eirini Artemi, Oxford, August 2011
The rejection of the term Theotokos by Nestorius Constantinople
by Eirini Artemi
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