The Temple of God

About this book

Since the earliest centuries of Christianity, Christians have been captivated by the Virgin Mary, treating her with great respect and honour. But what was the theological basis of this veneration, and how did it relate to the identity of her Son, Jesus Christ, the Word of God incarnate? This small book aims to answer this question, along with others frequentlyasked about the Eastern Orthodox perspective of the Mother of God. Our exploration includes the Scriptures, apocryphal material, the writings of Eastern and Western Church Fathers, and the ancient liturgical services and iconography of the Eastern Church. Navigating through this wide range of sources, it aims to preserve both readability and depth, clarity and mystery. It is hoped that by doing so, this book will be useful for enquirers and scholars alike. It is also hoped that this text will be found useful by Roman Catholics and Protestants who desire to know more about the Orthodox vision of Mary, as well as Orthodox who wish to enter more deeply into their own tradition. Although it mainly concentrates on the patristic and liturgical testimony of the Eastern Church, it equally reflects the perception of Mary held by Christians in the West for the first millennium of Church history.