Mariology

[Warren Bensinger]

Please forgive me my sins against you my brothers and sisters.

Could someone or several someones please suggest some good ORTHODOX books on Mariology?

Thanks in advance.

w.
t.s.

[Kosta]

"Mary: The Untrodden Portal of God" by George Gabriel

[Elzabet]

The Orthodox Veneration of Mary the Birthgiver of God translated by St. John Maximovitch is an excellent book. You can read it in it's entirety here (http://www.stmaryofegypt.org/library/st_john_maximovich/on_veneration_of_the_theotokos.htm)

[Warren Bensinger]

Thank you both for your help.
I'll take a look and check them out.
w
t.s.

[Robert Hegwood]

Christ is Risen!

I have an additional question on the subject of the Blessed Theotokos and her veneration.

Can anyone tell me/point me to when prayers/hymns specifically addressed to her became part of the Church's public record. I know St. Basil said a number of things were kept close and oral among believers for the first several generations of Christians... but at some point things began to be written down...either on "paper' or engravings, or perhaps even icons.

Thank you in advance

[Paul Cowan]

As far as Icons go, St. Luke wrote the first 70 or so? Was it not She who said, "The grace of the one born of me and my own prayers will always be with this icon"?

Paul

[Robert Hegwood]

Yes, that is the tradition. What I am trying to find out is when the Orthodox veneration of the Theotokos entered the public record. Granted it started in the Apostolic age, but I don't know of any apostolic era document that mentions any prayers to or hymns about her. The icons would have been present but that doesn't document what those images meant then to the Christians of that time or how they were integrated into their general piety. So its documentary history I'm trying to find out about...when did the paper trail begin.

[Kosta]

Most of the hymns and prayers addressed towards the Theotokos developed after the council of Ephesus of 431 a.d., when the title of Theotokos for Mary was dogmatized.

The title "Theotokos" became common in the 4th century, a historian once pointed out (i think it was jaroslav pelican, but not sure exactly where i read it) that when the arians took control over the church in the east and tried to enforce their heresy, the people still used Theotokos for Mary, thus while the heirarchs were heretics the people never were.

The first recorded Church Father to use Theotokos was Methodius of Olympus in about 290 a.d.

Gregory Thaumatourgos in his homily on the Annunciation refer to her as Mother of God in 260 a.d.

Origen was the first to use the title "Panagia" (all-holy) for Mary in about 235 a.d.

The apocryphal gospel protoevagelium of James is the first written account of the brothers of Jesus being children of Joseph from his first wife. Written in 150 a.d. This gospel also names Mary's parents.

Another more popular apocryphal gospel among the early church whom Origen speaks of as the "gospel according to Peter" taught the same thing. This writing has been long lost, it probably was written before 150 a.d.


Probably the earliest Marian hymns known to scholars is an obscure text known as the "Odes of Solomon". Most scholars date it to about 85a.d.-100a.d.
A gnostic writing in coptic preserved "ode 1' (since then actual manuscripts of the odes of solomon in its entirety have been discovered and translated).

This gnostic text attributes authorship of 'ode 1' to the Virgin Mary herself!.

The other 'ode' of importance is 19. A hymn to the Virgin it invokes the Trinity and also teaches that the Virgin gave birth without birth pangs, which is a theological concept found thru-out our modern liturgical texts.

Here is the link to this document:

http://www.misericordia.edu/users/davies/thomas/odes.htm

[Nina]

Christ is Risen!

Dear Seraphim98, I hope this is helpful, in addition to the posts above:

From the book: The Life of the Virgin Mary, the Theotokos

Written and compiled by the Holy Apostles Convent.
Published by the Holy Apostles Convent and Dormition Skete, 1989. ISBN 094435903-5


"Although the complete theme of the Theotokos has not been left to us in writing as part of the apostolic preaching, yet the mystery of Christ's Mother was always revealed to the children of the Church. Some of the earliest holy men, who [... praise her] are Saint Ignatios of Antioch (c.110), St. Justin Martyr (c.100-c.165), St. Irenaeus of Lyons (+c.193) and St. Hyppolytos (c.170-236)." p.ii



"Saint Dionysios the Areopagite came to visit her [Theotokos] and received her blessing after 52 AD.," p. 448

Panagia was venerated and respected not only by Saints, holy men and the nature, but also by pagans. Even demons ordered pagans to welcome Panagia.

The book recounts the story of the providential discovery of Mount Athos by Panagia. It states how all the trees were bent on the direction where Panagia set foot on the Peninsula, and that all the pagan idols were shattered simultaneously.

The most famous statue was that of Jupiter:


"Agapios the Cretan writes that when the ship carrying the Virgin Mary approached Athos, Jupiter’s statue, at the top of the mountain fell and shattered to pieces in a thunderous noise. The presence of the statue is mentioned in ancient history. Plutarch and Anaximander and others also mention that at the top of Athos there was a great gold-ivory statue of Jupiter, which instead of eyes bore two large gems, reflecting the starlight. Emitting flashes by night, they served as light-houses to the seamen sailing around Athos.” pp.33-34

As the idols were collapsing the demons inhabiting the idols were heard saying: “Men of Apollo get ye to Clemes harbor and welcome Mary, the Mother of the Great God Jesus!”

The pagans rushed to the harbor and were catechized by Panagia and initiated in the mysteries of Christ.
Then they accepted the Christian faith and fell down on the ground and worshiped the God who was born of her and showed great respect to the Virgin who bore Him in the flesh. p.436

However let us concentrate on Christ and his Apostles (the first Church) about the very beginnings of the veneration and prayer to Panagia:


"One account records the following: She would call to mind her Son's words to her before His Passion, when she asked Him many things and about her own future departure. She said to Him, "O most dear Son, I praise Thy holiness, that when my soul goes out of my body, that Thou wilt let me know on the third day before; and do Thou, O beloved Son, with Thy angels receive it, and cause all the Apostles to be present at my departure.

Christ answered His beloved Mother's prayer, saying, "O palace and temple of the living God, O blessed Mother, O Queen of all saints, and blessed above all women before thou didst carry Me in thy womb, I always guarded thee, and caused thee to be fed daily with My angelic food, as thou knowest. How can I desert thee, after though hast carried Me, and nourished Me, and brought Me down in flight into Egypt, and endured many hardships for Me? Know, then that My angels have always guarded thee, and will guard thee even until thy departure. After I undergo suffering for men, as it is written, and rise again on the third day, and after forty days ascend into heaven, thou shalt see My Archangel Gabriel coming to thee with a palm which I shall send to thee from Heaven. Know then that I shall soon come to thee, together with My disciples, angels, archangels, and the saints and virgins. Know for certain that thy soul will be separated from the body, and I shall carry it into the heavens where it shall never have tribulation or anguish." pp. 448-449 Thus it is obvious, that the tradition for venerating the Mother of God, was established from Christ Himself.


"The custom of the Panagia
The Virgin also appeared to the Holy Apostles after her repose, as did her Son. After the Ascension of our Lord, whenever the Apostles shared a meal together, it was their custom to leave a place at their table for the Master Christ.

After her [Panagia's] bodily disappearance from the tomb it was towards evening and they sat down in order to refresh themselves with a little food.

As was their custom, they would cut a cube of bread and place it at the head of the table as Christ's portion. And when they finished the meal and offering thanks, they would elevate this portion, proclaiming, "Great is the name of the Holy Trinity! O Lord Jesus Christ, help us!" And each would partake of a small peace thereof as a blessing. This custom continued not only when they were together but even when they were far from one another.

At this meal, however, they spoke and thought of nothing but of the Virgin's empty tomb. Now when they had finished eating and had come to the conclusion of their prayers, they again followed their custom of lifting up the portion bread put aside to honor the Lord and glorify the Trinity. Suddenly, they heard angelic singing. Raising their eyes, they beheld standing, in the air, the Theotokos, who was surrounded by a multitude of angels. She was suffused with an ineffable light, and said to the Apostles, "Rejoice, for I am with you all the days of your lives!" [...] Upon seeing her, they were filled with joy and cried aloud, "All-Holy Mother of God, save us!" This is what they exclaimed instead of the usual, "Lord Jesus Christ, help us." Thus they were all convinced that the Mother of God, like her Son, had risen on the third day and had been translated bodily into the heavens. Ever since, a piece of bread has also been set aside in her name, hence the appellation, Panagia, or All-Holy (one)." pp. 487-488.

Here the book goes on by presenting the prayers that Sts. Peter and Thomas addressed to Panagia at that time. These prayers start with the words "Rejoice...".

[Tessa Miljanic]

Also, there is a good MP3 you can download for free, called "Holy Theotokos-Apologetic Study", here at http://www.pigizois.gr/arxodariki/In_English.htm

In Christ,
Tessa

[Patrick Lee]

Christ is Risen!

I have an additional question on the subject of the Blessed Theotokos and her veneration.

Can anyone tell me/point me to when prayers/hymns specifically addressed to her became part of the Church's public record. I know St. Basil said a number of things were kept close and oral among believers for the first several generations of Christians... but at some point things began to be written down...either on "paper' or engravings, or perhaps even icons.

Thank you in advance

You might find this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sub_tuum_praesidium) of interest. Its the oldest extant liturgical prayer to the Theotokos, from about 250 AD.