Contents
Abbreviations
Introduction
PART ONE
FROM THE APOSTOLIC AGE TO THE COUNCIL OF NICAEA (325)
Prologue
1 THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS
Ignatius of Antioch
READINGS: Ignatian Professions of Faith
2 THE NEW TESTAMENT APOCRYPHA
The "Protoevangelium of James"
READING: The Virgin Birth according to the "Proto- evangelium of James"
3 THE SECOND-CENTURY APOLOGISTS
Justin Martyr
Eve-Mary
Melito of Sardis
READING: Easter Homily
4 IRENAEUS OF LYONS
Recapitulation in Christ
Mary's Role in the Economy of Salvation
READING: The New Adam and the New Eve
5 BEGINNINGS OF MARIAN DOCTRINE IN THE LATIN CHURCH: TERTULLIAN
Tertullian's Personality
God Incarnate
Tertullian's Severity toward Mary
Mary Guarantees the Humanity of Christ
Mary Conceived Christ as a Virgin
Tertullian Denies Mary's Perpetual Virginity
READING: Mary the Virgin Earth
READING: In What Sense Mary Is Called "Woman"
6 TWO GREAT MASTERS OF THE SCHOOL OF ALEXANDRIA: CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA AND ORIGEN
Clement of Alexandria (d. ca. 215)
Origen (d. 253)
Mary, Mother of God
Mary, Virgin Mother
Mary, Ever-Virgin
Mary's Holiness
READING: Sub tuum praesidium
READING: Origen: My Soul Magnifies the Lord
READING: Origen: The Apostle John Receives Mary as His Mother
READING: Origen: Mary, Humble and Lowly
7 MARY IN THE EARLY CHURCH IN ROME
Mary in the Art of the Catacombs
A Witness to the Apostolic Tradition: Hippolytus of Rome (d. 235)
Novatian, a Heretic Who Defends Mary's Maternity
READING: Hippolytus: Christ, Virginal Flower
READING: Hippolytus: Generated by the Father according to the Spirit, by His Mother according to the Flesh
8 THE END OF THE ANTE-NICENE ERA
READING: Gregory of Nyssa: Mary Appears to the
Young Gregory the Wonderworker
PART TWO
FROM THE COUNCIL OF NICAEA TO THE COUNCIL OF EPHESUS (431)
Prologue
I ATHANASIUS OF ALEXANDRIA (d. 373)
An Important Anonymous Witness
Athanasius Defends Mary's Motherhood
The Virgin's Child Is God
Mary Ever-Virgin
READING: Mary Greets Elizabeth
READING: In Praise of the Blessed Virgin
2 EPHREM THE SYRIAN (ca. 306-373)
In Love with the Beauty of the Virgin
The Mystery of the Mother of God
The Exceptional Virgin
Figure of the Church
Eve-Mary
READING: Marvelous Mother
3 EPIPHANIUS OF SALAMIS (d. 403)
His Polemical Mariology
The Ever-Virgin Mother of God
The New Eve
Mary's Earthly End
Devotion to the Virgin
READING: Death from Eve, Life from Mary
READING: Virginal Workshop of the Incarnation
4 CYRIL OF JERUSALEM AND THE JERUSALEM CATECHESES
Mary in Cyril's Catechetical Program
Mary, Virgin Mother of the Word Incarnate
Divine Character of Mary's Motherhood
The Virginal Birth of Christ
Mary, Wondrous Model of the Virginal Life
Mary and the Role of Women
READING: Mary, Joseph's Virginal Spouse
5 THE CAPPADOCIAN FATHERS: BASIL OF CAESAREA (d. 379)
Mary, Workshop of the Incarnation
Mary's Virginity and the Faith of Christians
Marriage to Joseph
Mary as a Moral Figure
READING: Basil: Christ's True Birth from Mary
READING: Basil: Joseph's Conduct toward Mary
150
6 GREGORY OF NYSSA (d. ca. 394)
Mary's Role in the Incarnation
The Wonder of Mary's Virginity
Zechariah, Martyr for the Sake of Mary's Virginity
Did Mary Take a Vow of Virginity?
READING: Christ, Chosen Fruit of Virginity
7 GREGORY NAZIANZEN (d. 390)
A Criterion of the True Faith
The Divine-Human Exchange
Virginal Temple of the Incarnate Word
Prayer to Mary
Mary, Model of the Virginal Life
READING: The Virgin Justina Calls upon Mary
8 AMPHILOCHIUS OF ICONIUM (d. after 394)
READING: The New Eve Gives Birth to the Salvation of the World
9 JOHN CHRYSOSTOM (d. 407)
John Chrysostom and the Blessed Virgin
The Mystery of the God Incarnate
The Miracle of the Virgin Mother
Mary's Perpetual Virginity
Virginity Prefigured in the Old Testament
READING: Christ, Who Had No Father and No Mother
IO LATIN CHRISTIANITY: HILARY OF POITIERS (d. 367)
Hilary's Marian Thought
Christ's Genealogy according to Matthew
The Gospel Speaks on Mary's Behalf
The Moral Figure of Mary
READING: Mary in the Economy of Salvation
READING: Pregnant Virgin
READING: Faith in the Incarnation
11 AMBROSE OF MILAN (d. 397)
Mary and the Ideal of Virginity
Mary Is a Virgin Because She Is Mother of God
Mother of God the Savior
Mary, a Remarkable Woman
Mary and the Church
READING: Mary, Highest Model of the Virginal Life
READINGS: Mary at the Foot of the Cross
12 JEROME (d. 419)
Controversy over Mary's Virginity
Mary Ever-Virgin
Mary in the Prophecies of the Old Testament Mary's Holiness
READING: Why Mary Conceived When She Was Already Engaged
13 AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO (d. 430)
A Mariology for the Future
Mary and the Predestination of Christ
Virgin Mother of the Incarnate God
Mary and the Church
Mary, Holiest of Creatures
READING: The Virginal Birth of Christ Is a Truth of the Faith
READING: The Dignity of Both Sexes Is Emphasized by the Incarnation
PART THREE
FROM THE COUNCIL OF EPHESUS TO THE FIFTH CENTURY
Prologue
The Homily of Proclus of Constantinople
The Council of Ephesus
READING: Cyril of Alexandria: Mary's Role in the
Mystery of the Incarnation
1 CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA
(d. 444)
Passionately Devoted to the Blessed Virgin
Mary's Role as Mediatrix
Mary at the Wedding in Cana
Mary at the Foot of the Cross
Cyril's Complex Personality
READING: The "Theotokos", Cause of Joy for the
Whole World
2 PROCLUS OF CONSTANTINOPLE (d. 446)
A Staunch Devotee of Mary
Enthusiastic Defender of the Theotokos
Mary, Virginal Workshop
Salvitic Character of Mary's Motherhood
Mary, Boast of the Female Sex
The Value of Proclus
READING: Mary in the Mystery of the Incarnation
READING: Mary in the Choir of All Creatures Who Offer Gifts
to the Lord
3 THEODOTUS OF ANCYRA (d. before 446)
The Mother of God's Only Begotten Son
Virgin Mother
Mary's Preparation for the Incarnation
Virginal Birth and Resurrection
The Role of Joseph
The Sword of Simeon
Praise for the Holy Virgin
READING: The Incarnation, Mystery of Virginity
READING: A Moral Portrait of the Virgin
4 A HOMILY ON THE ANNUNCIATION (Fourth Century)
The Problem of Authorship
Content of the Homily
READING: Pseudo-Chrysostom: From the Homily on the
Annunciation by Pseudo-Chrysostom
5 CAELIUS SEDULIUS (d. ca. 440-450)
Mother of the Lamb
The New Eve
The Incarnation
The Angel's Prophetic Greeting
Mary and the Paschal Mystery
READING: In Praise of the Divine Motherhood
6 PETER CHRYSOLOGUS (ca. 380-ca. 450)
Mother of God and Our Lady
The Miracle of Mary's Virginity
Mary, God's Spouse
The Eve-Mary Parallel
Devotion to Mary
READING: Peter Chrysologus: "When His Mother Mary Was
Betrothed..." (Mt. 1:18)
7 LEO THE GREAT (d. 461)
The Tomus ad Flavianum
Mary in the Prophecies of the Old Testament
Mary's Faith and the Incarnation
READING: Why Christ Was Born of a Virgin
8 SEVERUS OF ANTIOCH (ca. 465-ca. 538)
Mary Is a Marvelous Mystery
The Miracle of Mary's Virginal Motherhood
The Blessed Virgin's Role in Salvation
READING: Mary's Intervention at the Wedding Feast at Cana
PART FOUR
THE END OF THE PATRISTIC PERIOD (SIXTH-EIGHTH CENTURY)
Prologue
I ROMANOS THE MELODIST (d. ca. 560)
Romanos and the Mother of God
The Birth of Mary
The Annunciation
Christ's Birth at Bethlehem
The Sword of Simeon
The Virgin Mother on Calvary
READING: Mary at the Cross
2 THE "AKATHIST" HYMN (fifth-sixth century)
Compositional Structure
The Narrative Stanzas
The Doctrinal Stanzas
READING: The "Akathist" Hymn
3 GREGORY OF TOURS (d. 594)
Mary's Glorious End
Miraculous Interventions of the Mother of God
Mary's Concern for Christians
READING: Miraculous Relics of Mary
4 VENANTIUS FORTUNATUS (d. ca. 600)
The Vision of the Prophets
Mary's Divine and Saving Motherhood.
The Human Idyll of Mary's Motherhood
The Miracle of Mary's Virginity
READING: Hymn on the Incarnation
5 GREGORY THE GREAT (ca. 540-604)
Greatness of the Mother of God
The Virgin Appears to Little Musa
Marian Cult and Devotion
READING: Mary, the Mountain That Reaches the Heights of
Divinity
6 ISIDORE OF SEVILLE (ca. 560-636)
The Meaning of the Name "Mary"
The Question of the End of Mary's Earthly Life
Mary and the Church
The Cult of Mary
READING: The Woman's Offspring
7 THE ICONOCLAST CRISIS (725-843)
8 GERMANUS OF CONSTANTINOPLE (d. ca. 733)
Exaltation of the Blessed Virgin
Mary Assumed into Heaven
Mary's Mediation
The Cult of Icons
READING: Mary's Spiritual Presence among the Faithful
9 ANDREW OF CRETE (d. ca. 740)
Mary, Spotless Creature
Mary's Death and Assumption
Mary's Queenship and Mediation
READING: The Cult of Sacred Icons
10 JOHN DAMASCENE (d. ca. 750)
Mary Assumed into Heaven
Mary, Mediatrix between Earth and Heaven
Devotion to Mary
READING: Mary's Tomb, Place of Grace
Select Bibliography
Acknowledgments
Index of Biblical References
Index of Names and Subjects
