By all measures, Mary is a most remarkable woman. Chosen by God to bear the Messiah, there are few women in history who are regarded as highly as Jesus’ mother. Some Christian traditions, like Roman Catholicism, have granted Mary an almost God-like quality. This has developed over many centuries, with early church fathers extolling Mary’s virtue above all women.
While some Protestant traditions have latent Mariology in them (e.g., Lutheranism, Anglicanism), by and large Protestants reject Catholic dogmas concerning Mary, often considering them ‘Mariolatry’ or a form of idolatry that detracts from Jesus’ supreme place as sole Mediator and Saviour. At times, though, in a possible over-reaction to Catholic doctrine, Protestants treat Mary with an irreverence that considers her just another woman.
Pick up a copy of the May 2019 issue of JOY! to read the full article…