Mary
Mary the Mother of Jesus Christ is now commonly called the Blessed Virgin Mary. While we have very little knowledge about her earthly life there is enough information in the Gospels that point to her as the "first among disciples."
While there is little doubt that she is the one through which Jesus as Saviour was born of the human race, there is much challenge to the significance she plays in the Church today.
Catholics and Orthodox Christians, look to Mary as the perfect example of discipleship. The one who feely cooperated with God's design and will and who overturned the ancient disobedience of Adam and Eve. Catholic and Orthodox Christians pray to Mary asking her intercession. They teach about Mary that she is:
- Theotokos: the Mother of God
- The Immaculate Conception: conceived without Original Sin
- The Assumption: That she was assumed into Heaven body and soul at the end of her earthly life, and
- Perpetual Virginity: That she remained a virgin before, during and after the birth of Jesus.
It is difficult to generalise about the place of Mary in Protestantism given the great diversity of Protestant beliefs. Early reformers such as Luther, Zwingli and Calvin express admiration for the piety of Mary but kept honouring Mary to a minimum considering she short part in Scripture and creeds.
A uniquely Protestant view of Mary exists in the details of her life as revealed in scripture, and focus on her humility before God and openness to His will.
Martin Luther wrote on Mary that “we should only honour Mary as we show honour to one another for the sake of the One who dwells in us, Jesus Christ.”
Presently the Lutheran World Federation accepts the teachings of the Council of Ephesus and other ecumenical councils of the patristic-era Church, including the formulation "Mother of God" as a function of Christ's hypostatic union. Luther says: We too know very well that God did not derive his divinity from Mary; but it does not follow that it is therefore wrong to say that God was born of Mary, that God is Mary’s Son, and that Mary is God’s mother.