Mary, the mother of Jesus, has been a central figure in Christian beliefs since the beginning of the written word of the bible. The interesting aspect of Mary, is her ever changing status in Christian history. She goes from a hardly mentioned character in the New Testament, to a central religious figure only less than God and Jesus. This paper examines Mary’s status in the medieval era; however, in order to properly understand her status in this time period, one must examine her past. Who was Mary and how does she fit in Christian theology. Mary, according to the New Testament was the mother of Jesus. This motherly figure is central to who Mary was, and this role is clearly stated in the New Testament in the following excerpt:
Now the birth …show more content…
Mary is a central figure during all the key events in Jesus’s life, that of his birth, as discussed, his death and his resurrection. During his crucifixion, one of the most influential quotes that perhaps signals to Christian’s that Mary is an important figure to all believers of God and Jesus was spoken. “When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.” (The English Standard Version Bible 19:25-27) This passage can be interpreted as Jesus designating Mary as the mother of all people, again another reason many people pray and look to Mary for …show more content…
What is known as “Immaculate Conception” is greatly misunderstood. In many instances, peoples believe that it is in reference to Jesus’s virginal birth. However, what this really means is that Mary was spared from original sin during her conception and birth. Duns Scotus argued that “Christ was Mary 's Redeemer more perfectly by preservative redemption in shielding her from original sin through anticipating and foreseeing the merits of his passion and death. This pre-redemption indicates a much greater grace and more perfect salvation.” (Catholicculture.org, 2016) This belief in Mary’s immaculate conception became a crucial theological debate into the modern area, and it is because of the cult of Mary in the Middle Ages that this discussion came forward, forever changing the way we view Mary in modern Christian theological
Now the birth …show more content…
Mary is a central figure during all the key events in Jesus’s life, that of his birth, as discussed, his death and his resurrection. During his crucifixion, one of the most influential quotes that perhaps signals to Christian’s that Mary is an important figure to all believers of God and Jesus was spoken. “When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son!’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.” (The English Standard Version Bible 19:25-27) This passage can be interpreted as Jesus designating Mary as the mother of all people, again another reason many people pray and look to Mary for …show more content…
What is known as “Immaculate Conception” is greatly misunderstood. In many instances, peoples believe that it is in reference to Jesus’s virginal birth. However, what this really means is that Mary was spared from original sin during her conception and birth. Duns Scotus argued that “Christ was Mary 's Redeemer more perfectly by preservative redemption in shielding her from original sin through anticipating and foreseeing the merits of his passion and death. This pre-redemption indicates a much greater grace and more perfect salvation.” (Catholicculture.org, 2016) This belief in Mary’s immaculate conception became a crucial theological debate into the modern area, and it is because of the cult of Mary in the Middle Ages that this discussion came forward, forever changing the way we view Mary in modern Christian theological