Virgin Mary

The plurality of representations of the Virgin Mary is rivaled only by the multifaceted meanings attributed to these representations across religions and continents. Revered as the virgin mother of Jesus, Mary of Nazareth is described in the New Testament as having conceived a child through the action of the Holy Spirit, thereby fulfilling the prophesy of Isaiah 7:14.

In Roman Catholic theology, “Mariology” is a specific field of thought. Mary is considered the human vessel through which Christ became human. However, she is set aside from other humans by four dogmas. Her divine motherhood, declared in 431 CE, recognizes that she was predestined to be the Mother of God. The second dogma is her perpetual virginity, even after giving birth to Jesus. Third, the doctrine of ...