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St. Mary the Virgin: Reflections from a Former Evangelical

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As someone who grew up evangelical Protestant, I always viewed the doctrinal distinctives of the Church of Rome with suspicion. To me, one of the stranger elements of Roman piety and practice was devotion to the Virgin Mary. I always believed Mary was important and special. She miraculously conceived our Lord, after all!

However, because of Roman Catholic dogmas, such as her Immaculate Conception, and practices, such as invoking her in prayers using the rosary (all of which seemed strange and unbiblical to me), my tradition and I deflect significant attention outside of the Christmas season away from the Blessed Virgin. Even then, I never spent much time thinking about her or her role in the Advent story directly.

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As I have continued to develop my theology and have come into the Anglican Church, I have had some major shifts in the way I view Mary. I believe that Scripture and the history of the Church teach us that Mary ought to be remembered highly for three main reasons: 

  • Her role as the theotokos, the Mother of God or God-bearer
  • Her typological fulfillment of figures in the Old Testament
  • Her exemplary life of faith

Protestant recovery of these truths will lead to a deeper reverence for the faith and edification in our churches.

The Theotokos

Theotokos is a Greek word meaning “God-bearer” that is applied to Mary as the mother of Jesus Christ. As the one who bore the Incarnate Son in her womb, Mary is called the Mother of God. This statement does not claim that God’s existence somehow depends on Mary or that Mary is the source of God. Rather, it claims that the human child born to Mary was and is truly God. Calling Mary the Theotokos or the Mother of God is one of the most powerful ways we can witness to the mystery of the Incarnation, without which we have no hope of salvation.

This is exactly the debate that occurred in the fifth century between St. Cyril of Alexandria and Nestorius. Nestorius was uncomfortable using the title theotokos—God-bearer—so he taught that the appropriate title for Mary ought to be christotokos—Christ-bearer. In this way, Nestorius thought, we more accurately describe what Mary did without diminishing God by claiming he could be borne in a human’s womb.

The problem, which St. Cyril vehemently challenged Nestorius over, is that doing so undermines our salvation by undermining the truth of the Incarnation, which is that God himself became a man. “The Word became flesh” (Jn 1:14). If the One to whom Mary gave birth is not God himself, the Incarnation is not able to save us because the one born is not the eternal Son of God. Recovering Theotokos allows us to witness to the mystery of the Incarnation by recognizing the identity of the one born of Mary and what that means for us and for our salvation. Using the title for Mary points us to Christ, as we are reminded of his Incarnation.

Typology

In typology, certain people or things in the Old Testament have definite parallels with corresponding people or things in the New Testament, in the fulfillment of God’s covenantal purposes in Christ.

Robert Letham, Systematic Theology, pg. 249

Typology is a sort of theological foreshadowing, where someone or something (the “type”) points forward to someone or something (the “antitype”) in the future of God’s plan of redemption. As it pertains to Mary, we see in her and her life the typological fulfillment of Old Testament types. Two, in particular, are worth noting. 

First, Mary is the new Eve. While Eve said “no” to God in the garden, choosing to follow the desires of her own heart concerning the fruit forbidden to her, Mary said “yes” to God at the Annunciation, where Gabriel announced she would give birth to a Savior, choosing to submit to the will of God regarding the fruit of her womb. In this way, Mary fulfills Eve’s role by accomplishing what Eve didn’t. Mary obeys where Eve disobeyed; her choice leads to life, whereas Eve’s choice led to death. 

Mary: Jesus’ Ark

Justin Martyr, in his Dialogue with Trypho, an early work of Christian apologetics, speaks of this connection between Mary and Eve:

[Jesus Christ] became man by the Virgin, in order that the disobedience which proceeded from the serpent might receive its destruction in the same manner in which it derived its origin. For Eve, who was a virgin and undefiled, having conceived the word of the serpent, brought forth disobedience and death. But the Virgin Mary received faith and joy, when the angel Gabriel announced the good tidings to her that the Spirit of the Lord would come upon her, and the power of the Highest would overshadow her…

Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, Chap. 100

Mary is also a typological fulfillment of the Ark of the Covenant. As the Ark in the Old Testament was the space on earth where God’s revelation dwelled (the tablets of the Law), in Mary’s womb, the fullness of God’s revelation in Jesus dwelt within her (Colossians 1:19).

Mary is also a typological fulfillment of the Ark of the Covenant. As the Ark in the Old Testament was the space on earth where the revelation of God dwelt (the tablets of the Law), in Mary’s womb, the fullness of God’s revelation in Jesus dwelt within her (Col 1:19). The holy place wherein the revelation given to the people of Israel was kept safe and kept before the eyes and minds of the people corresponds to Mary’s role as the bearer of God and the one who brings Christ, the Incarnate Word, before us on earth. Parallels in language used in the Old Testament of the Ark and in Luke’s Gospel of Mary (e.g., the Holy Spirit covering the tabernacle in Exodus 40:34 and Mary in Luke 1:35) reinforce the comparison of the two.

Neal Flanagan, “Mary Ark of the Covenant” Worship, [s. l.], v. 35, n. 6, p.g 370–375

A possible objection to viewing Mary as a typological fulfillment of Old Testament figures is that we should only apply typology to Christ himself. It may be that it is one thing to look to Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac and see typological connections to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and quite another to start pointing to mere human figures as types. However, the New Testament itself frequently uses typology for things and people other than Jesus. One example is the typological references to baptism. In Colossians 2:11-12, Paul links baptism with circumcision, indicating a foreshadowing in circumcision of Christian baptism. Peter links baptism with Noah’s ark in 1 Peter 3:20-21. Both of these passages use typology to relate figures in the Old Testament to New Testament baptism. They show us how typology can be helpful in contexts other than learning about Jesus himself.

The Exemplar of Faith

Finally, Mary serves as an exemplar of faith for us to look to and imitate. This is perhaps the simplest and yet most profound lesson that Mary can teach us. Mary stands as an exemplary figure of faith, worthy of imitation in that her faithful obedience points us to Christ and our faithfulness to God.

Mary’s “yes” to God as she stands a young, poor virgin before the heavenly messenger, revealing God’s nearly unbelievable plan for which she is the vessel, teaches us the posture of faith that we ought to have before God. She humbly submits to the will of God in her life, even as it comes to her in the form of a difficult, seemingly impossible event proclaimed by a being that almost certainly would have been a terrifying sight to behold.

Despite the audacious manner of the Annunciation and the fact that saying “yes” almost certainly guaranteed social ostracization, as Mary became pregnant before consummating her marriage to Joseph, Mary’s response is,

“May it be done to me according to your word.”

Luke 1:38

I can imagine no more beautiful posture of humility, receptivity, and submission to the God who uses the poor and marginalized, confounds the wisdom of the wise, and whose power is perfected in weakness. May we all find the faith to echo Mary’s prayer: “Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).

Potential Concerns Mediated

I have presented several theological reflections that provide compelling reasons to reconsider the lack of attention Protestantism—and especially evangelical Protestantism—tends to give the Virgin Mary. However, like any good thing, devotion to Mary can be distorted or abused. Here arises valid theological concerns that we must take seriously and guard against.

Retrieving Mary in a Protestant context does not mean uncritically adopting Mariology from other traditions. The Roman dogma of the Immaculate Conception, for example, has serious implications for the Incarnation that ought to trouble Christians from any background. If Mary’s flesh was immaculately conceived in such a way that she was protected from the natural fallen state caused by sin, how is it that Jesus receives a human nature from her that is the same as that of the rest of humanity?

If Jesus has a different nature than I have, how can he save me? These questions only scratch the surface, and a full treatment of the Immaculate Conception is beyond the scope of this essay, not to mention the theological debate around whether Christ inherited a fallen or unfallen human nature. Whatever the conclusions one comes to on these various questions, it is clear that Mary and her role in the Incarnation are important considerations in the debates.

Protestant Marian Doctrine

These questions are also worth noting as an example of possible pitfalls if Protestants merely appropriate wholesale a view or a doctrine of Mary from a different tradition. As with the memory of any saint, it can be tempting to put Mary on a pedestal due to her miraculous role in the Incarnation or her example of faith and obedience to God. As was made clear above, these are truths to meditate on and reflect on, enabling us to devote ourselves more fully to Christ.

However, we must avoid elevating Mary beyond her humanity or allowing our devotion to shift our gaze from Christ to her. When we call Mary blessed, fulfilling her prophecy in the Magnificat, our praise points first to God and His grace, and second to Mary as the one who received it. Maintaining this proper perspective on her life and role is essential.

Conclusion

Protestants have, in many ways, forgotten the mother of Our Lord. Scripture and Church tradition present Mary as the Theotokos—a title meaning “God-bearer.” Through her, God brought the Incarnate Son into the world for us and for our salvation. She typologically fulfills figures in the Old Testament in a way that highlights God’s plan of redemption in history. Finally, Mary’s obedience to God gives us a profound model and example of what it means to serve God and listen to his plans in our lives. 

Image by josemdelaa from Pixabay, courtesy of Canva.

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November 5, 2020
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Lukas Stock

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Lukas Stock

Lukas Stock is an M.Div. student at Beeson Divinity School. He and his wife Elaine recently moved to Birmingham, Alabama. They enjoy good food and being cat parents to Chive.

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The Liturgical Home: The Feast of St. Mary the Virgin

Posted on August 13, 2023
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On August 15th, Christians worldwide celebrate the Feast of St. Mary the Virgin, Mother of Our Lord, honoring the remarkable life of the mother of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is a joyous occasion filled with reverence, thanksgiving, and reflection on Mary’s profound role in the salvation story. The Life of St. Mary The life…

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Thanks for the write-up, Lukas! This resonates with me, because I’ve traversed a similar threshold in my own devotion recently. I’m still uncomfortable saying it out loud, but it’s true: for the first time in my life I am regularly praying to the Mother of God(!).

A significant contributing factor for me was reading The Fount of Knowledge by St. John of Damascus. He talks about the Blessed Virgin, yes. But he talks waaaaay more about the Holy Trinity and the Incarnation. It made me realize just how thin my triadology and christology have been. Without a “thick” understanding of God, Mary has always felt sort of threatening, as if acknowledging her at all is too fraught with the peril of introducing a fourth Person into the Trinity. Better to steer clear! But with a much more robust view of the Godhead thanks to the Damascene, not only is the Virgin’s non-divinity sure and obvious by comparison, but on the other hand, her unique role as the Mother of God is all the more wondrous. Understanding God both lowers and elevates the Mother of God.

From there to outright prayer is a further step, of course. I was already pretty comfortable with prayer to the saints, via (again) a “thick” view of the communion of saints: I want my imagination to be filled with the Lives of the Saints more than the Marvel Universe. If the saints—reposed or not—are to be my friends and teachers, then of course I want to know the Mother of God, blessed among women, more honorable than the cherubim, more glorious beyond compare than the seraphim. The holy icons help in this regard, because of course in nearly every one of her icons, the Mother of God directs us to Christ.

As to the Immaculate Conception, I encountered a view from an Orthodox priest recently that the Augustinian/RC concept of Original Sin is what causes the problem that the Immaculate Conception is designed to resolve. The Orthodox do not hold the Immaculate Conception because they do not hold Original Sin in the same way:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRgPKrD31fU#t=8m58s

In general, I wonder if, in reaching back from Evangelicalism to Anglo-Catholicism, we oughtn’t to keep reaching back even further. Anyone else up for an Anglodox revival? 🙂

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“I want my imagination to be filled with the Lives of the Saints more than the Marvel Universe. ” That’s fantastic, Chad. Honoring Mary in the ways given to us by historic orthodoxy is only a problem if we have lost a hierarchical (“thick”, perhaps, in your words) view of God’s kingdom and have given in to the temptation of the “zer0-sum” view of God, where any honor given the saints somehow detracts from God’s glory as if it is a finite commodity. “The Lord is glorious in his saints,” after all. Unfortunately, both of these things are now the norm in Protestantism (not to mention the rest of our late-modern world). And I had the exact same thought regarding the problem given us by a strict Augustinian view of Original Sin when reading the bit about the Immaculate Conception. The IC is a non-issue in the East, and I think they are on to something.

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Thanks for the great article.

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Saint Mary?? Were did this come from?? not Catholic. from Trevor in New Zealand.

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Could you perhaps clarify your question?

Mary is referred to as “Saint Mary the Virgin” in the 1662 BCP, which is the primary prayer book used throughout the Anglican Communion.

Thank you for your comment!

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thank you…who made Mary a Saint>>?? from Trevor.

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First, let’s acknowledge that all who are in Christ are, in one sense, saints. But, in another sense, there are those who, throughout Church history, have been recognized as examplars of the faith. It is to these that we refer to with the title of Saint.

With that said, as far as I know, there isn’t one person who made Mary a Saint. From very early on in Church history, Mary was recognized as an exemplary person of faith, especially given her role as Theotokos. So I guess the answer to your question would simply be, “The Church.”

Thanks for engaging!

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I would strongly disagree with viewing Mary as a typological fulfillment of the Ark. Luther accurately noted how the language of Romans 3:25 reflects the LXX’s rendering of the Ark’s lid: it is Christ who is the Ark, sprinkled with His own blood.

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Thanks for the comment, James. Don’t you think there is the possibility of multiple typologies here? Just as the word of God (10 Commandments) was carried inside the ark, so the word of God (Jesus) was carried inside of Mary. (And while Mary was en route to Bethlehem, Joseph kept her inviolate, showing his superiority to Uzzah!). But then of course Jesus the Word emerged out of Mary the ark, and became in a sense the lid, the mercy seat, where God dwelt, surrounded by the angels. And in his crucifixion he is not only the tablets (now broken again), not only the lid, but also the sacrifice, his sprinkling blood making atonement. Of course Mary is there again, at the base of the cross, perhaps even sprinkled with his blood.

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Thank you Lukas. As a missionary pastor working among Hispanics deeply embedded in Roman Catholic culture, I wonder if a word needs to be said about the felt needs the added attention to Mary provides for many. The veneration of Mary arose in a Mediterranean milieu in which the love of mother dictated (and still dictates) the everyday attitudes and lifestyle choices of the people. How much is the love of Mary bound up in the yearning of a mother figure in or close to the Godhead? After all, when we have done something wrong, is it not easier to approach Mom first rather than Dad? This is may all trivial and without theological merit, but I believe when we are discussing the role of the Virgin Mary in the life of the church, consideration needs to be given to the devotional needs of the people who hold views that vary in one way or the other from our own.

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Thank you for this pertinent article. I have recently been confirmed in the Anglican Church after attending Protestant churches most of my life, and my husband converted to Catholicism two years ago. You mentioned the immaculate conception as one potential concern, and I would be interested to hear a little about the other concerns of perpetual virginity and the assumption. Thank you.

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Thank you for your article Lukas., esp sharing your personal journey and outlining so well the reasons to remember Mary and hold her in high regard. Any comment on the appropriateness of Christians invoking her intercession? Venerating statues or stain glass? Is the Rosary appropriate or is an excess/abuse? More broadly speaking, how do Christians practically honor and remember Mary in a way that avoids excesses and abuses?

Regarding the immaculate conception, I think a Roman Catholic might counter your concern with this: sin is not intrinsic to human nature. Sin is proper to the condition of fallen humanity, not to human nature itself. As you mentioned, many other issues arise with this doctrine (in my opinion the most challenging aspect is that RCs have dogmatized it and anathematized those who disagree. So it touches an issue of the authority and infallibility of the pope and the magisterium, as well as articles of faith required for salvation), but I say this because I have seen this concern arise from other Anglicans. Of course there is more to say on this point as well.

All that said, would love to hear your comments on invoking her intercession and practical, appropriate ways to honor and remember Mary aside from Advent. Recognizing her feast day is an obvious implication from your article, but that seems to merely add one additional day a year to think about her.

Thanks again for your post!

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