The virginity of Mary has been an influential tenet of Christian belief,
a catalyst for Marian devotion, and a foundation for the construction of female
Christian piety and practice. In contrast to previous biblical interpreters who have
drawn on either linguistic or historical evidence to ponder whether Mary the
parthenos is indeed a "virgin," in this study Mary F. Foskett takes a
different course. Rather than investigating the meaning and implications of the
Virgin as a reified symbol, A Virgin Conceived examines the portrayal of Mary as a
virgin in two important early Christian narratives: the canonical Luke-Acts and the
second-century Protevangelium of James. Foskett explores the multiple meanings and
images that parthenos and virginity display in two sources and describes how they
exploit this range of possible meanings in their representations of Mary. Her study
departs from earlier biblical interpretation by emphasizing neither the ambiguity of
the term parthenos nor the history of tradition concerning Mary. Instead, it
displays the multiple meanings of "virginity" and their implications for
understanding representations of the Virgin Mary.
The virginity of Mary has been an influential tenet of Christian belief,
a catalyst for Marian devotion, and a foundation for the construction of female
Christian piety and practice. In contrast to previous biblical interpreters who have
drawn on either linguistic or historical evidence to ponder whether Mary the
parthenos is indeed a "virgin," in this study Mary F. Foskett takes a
different course. Rather than investigating the meaning and implications of the
Virgin as a reified symbol, A Virgin Conceived examines the portrayal of Mary as a
virgin in two important early Christian narratives: the canonical Luke-Acts and the
second-century Protevangelium of James. Foskett explores the multiple meanings and
images that parthenos and virginity display in two sources and describes how they
exploit this range of possible meanings in their representations of Mary. Her study
departs from earlier biblical interpretation by emphasizing neither the ambiguity of
the term parthenos nor the history of tradition concerning Mary. Instead, it
displays the multiple meanings of "virginity" and their implications for
understanding representations of the Virgin Mary.
A Virgin Conceived: Mary and Classical Representations of Virginity
248
A Virgin Conceived: Mary and Classical Representations of Virginity
248
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780253108968 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Indiana University Press |
| Publication date: | 06/25/2002 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 248 |
| File size: | 474 KB |