Theotokos of Kazan

Theotokos (Greek Θεοτόκος) is a title of Mary, the mother of Jesus. This term is used especially in the Eastern Orthodox Church and related traditions within the Catholic Church. Image File history File links Our Lady of Kazan. ... Image File history File links Our Lady of Kazan. ... Our Lady of Kazan (16th century). ... A title is a prefix or suffix added to a persons name to signify either veneration, an official position or a professional or academic qualification. ... Saint Mary and Saint Mary the Virgin both redirect here. ... The Vladimir Icon, one of the most venerated of Orthodox Christian icons of the Virgin Mary. ... Eastern Christianity refers collectively to the Christian traditions which developed in Greece, the Balkans, the rest of Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, and the Middle East over several centuries of religious antiquity. ... Catholic Church redirects here. ...

Etymology and translation

Theotokos is a compound of two Greek words, θεος "God" and τοκος "parturition, childbirth." Literally, this translates as "God-bearer" or "One who gave birth to God." However, since many English-speaking Orthodox find this literal translation is awkward, in liturgical use, "Theotokos" is often retained in Greek or translated as "Mother of God." This last is not precisely synonymous, as it does not have the same connotations of physical childbearing. Furthermore, "Mother of God" (Greek Μητηρ Θεου) has an established usage of its own in certain hymns, but especially on icons of the Theotokos, in which case it is usually abbreviated as ΜΡ ΘΥ (see illustration below). Michelangelos depiction of God in the painting Creation of the Sun and Moon in the Sistine Chapel This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The Divine Liturgy is the common term for the eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. ... The Savior (1410s, by Andrei Rublev) For other senses of this word, see icon (disambiguation). ...

Theology

The expression "Mother of God" or "Birth-giver of God" should not be understood in the eternal sense; that is, Mary is not understood as having eternally given birth to God the Son in the same way that he is eternally begotten by God the Father (see Holy Trinity and Nicene Creed). Rather, in the Incarnation, the divine person of God the Son took on a human nature in addition to his divine nature, and it is through Mary that this takes place. Since Jesus Christ is seen as both fully God and fully human, to call Mary the Birth-giver of God is to affirm the fullness of his Incarnation, and by extension, the salvation of humanity. This article concerns the holy Trinity of Christianity. ... Icon depicting the Holy Fathers of the First Council of Nicaea holding the Nicene Creed. ... Look up Incarnation in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Incarnation, which literally means enfleshment, refers to the conception, and live birth of a sentient creature (generally human) who is the material manifestation of an entity or force whose original nature is immaterial. ... Salvation refers to deliverance from an undesirable state or condition. ...

This stands in contrast to classical Greco-Roman religion in particular, where a number of divine female figures appear as mother of other divinities, demi-gods, or heroes. For example, Juno was revered as the mother of Vulcan; Aphrodite, the mother of Aeneas. Greco-Roman religion is the collective name given to Greek and Roman pre-Christian religions due to the similarity between them. ... A demigod, a half-god, is a person whose one parent was a god and whose other parent was a human. ... Juno was a Roman goddess, the rough equivalent of the Greek Hera, queen of the gods. ... Vulcan, in Roman mythology, is the son of Jupiter and Juno, and husband of Maia and Venus. ... Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love and beauty,and the patroness of physical love. ... Aeneas flees burning Troy, Federico Barocci, 1598. ...

Use of "Theotokos" in the early Christian Church

Many Fathers of the early Christian Church used the title Theotokos for Mary, at least since the third century AD. Patristics is the study of early Christian writers, known as the Church Fathers. ...

The first documented use of the term is in the writings of Origen in 230 AD. Origen (ca. ... Events Pope Pontian succeeds Pope Urban I Patriarch Castinus succeeds Patriarch Ciriacus I as Patriarch of Constantinople Births Deaths Categories: 230 ...

Dionysios of Alexandria used the term in about 250, in an epistle to Paul of Samosata. Dionysius served as Patriarch of Alexandria (head of the church that became the Coptic Church and the Orthodox Church of Alexandria) between 248 and 264. ... Events Diophantus writes Arithmetica the first systematic treatise on algebra. ... Paul of Samosata, patriarch of Antioch (260-269), Life Paul was born at Samosata into a family of humble origin. ...

Athanasius of Alexandria in 330, Gregory the Theologian in 370, John Chrysostom in 400, and Augustine all used the term Theotokos. Athanasius of Alexandria (also spelled Athanasios) (298–May 2, 373) was a Christian bishop, the Patriarch of Alexandria, in the fourth century. ... Events May 11 - Constantine I refounds Byzantium, renames it New Rome, and moves the capital of the Roman Empire there from Rome. ... An icon of Saint Gregory Nazianzen the theologian holding a Gospel Book Saint Gregory Nazianzen (AD 329 - January 25, 389), also known as Saint Gregory the Theologian, was a 4th century Christian bishop of Constantinople. ... Events Basil of Caesarea becomes bishop of Caesarea. ... Saint John Chrysostom John Chrysostom (347 - 407) was a notable Christian bishop and preacher from the 4th and 5th centuries in Syria and Constantinople. ... Events First invasion of Italy by Alaric (probable date). ... St. ...

Theodoret wrote in 436 that calling Virgin Mary Theotokos was an apostolic tradition. Theodoret (393 – c. ... Events Attila the Hun attacks Britain Births Deaths Categories: 436 ... Alternate meaning: See Apostle (Mormonism) The Christian Apostles were Jewish men chosen from among the disciples, who were sent forth (as indicated by the Greek word απόστολος apostolos= messenger), by Jesus to preach the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles, across the world. ...

Third Ecumenical Council

The use of Theotokos was formally affirmed at the Third Ecumenical Council held at Ephesus in 431. The competing view (advocated by Nestorius, then Patriarch of Constantinople) was that Mary should be called Christotokos, meaning "Mother of Christ," to restrict her role to the mother of Christ's humanity only and not his divine nature. The Council of Ephesus was held in Ephesus, Asia Minor in 431 under Emperor Theodosius II, grandson of Theodosius the Great. ... Ephesus ( Turkish: Efes, Greek: Έφεσσος; see also List of traditional Greek place names) was one of the great cities of the Ionian Greeks in Asia Minor, located in Lydia where the Cayster river flows into the Aegean Sea (in modern day Turkey). ... Events June - Council of Ephesus: Nestorianism is rejected, the Nicene creed is declared to be complete. ... Nestorius - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The Patriarch of Constantinople is the Ecumenical Patriarch, ranking as the first among equals in the Eastern Orthodox communion. ...

Nestorius's opponents, led by Cyril of Alexandria, viewed this as dividing Jesus into two distinct persons, one who was Son of Mary, and another, the divine nature, who was not. Such a notion was unacceptable, since (in the Orthodox view) it sabotaged the fullness of the incarnation and, by extension, the salvation of humanity. Nestorius's view was anathematised by the Council as heresy, (see Nestorianism), and the title "Theotokos" for Mary was affirmed. Cyril I (376 – June 27, 444), surnamed The Pillar of Faith, was Pope of Alexandria. ... Anathema (Greek Word -Ανάθεμα-: meaning originally something lifted up as an offering to the gods; later, with evolving meanings, it came to mean 1. ... Heresy, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a theological or religious opinion or doctrine maintained in opposition, or held to be contrary, to the Catholic or Orthodox doctrine of the Christian Church, or, by extension, to that of any church, creed, or religious system, considered as orthodox. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

By the end of his life, Nestorius had agreed to the title Theotokos, stating the apparent communication of the attributes (idiomata).

Hymns

Calling Mary either Theotokos or "Mother of God" (ΜΡ ΘΥ) was never meant to suggest that Mary was coeternal with God, or that she existed before Jesus Christ or God existed. The Church acknowledges the mystery in the words of this ancient hymn: "He whom the entire universe could not contain was contained within your womb, O Theotokos."

The title "Theotokos" continues to be used frequently in the hymns of the Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Catholic and Oriental Orthodox churches. A hymn is a song specifically written as a song of praise, adoration or prayer, typically addressed to a god. ... Eastern Orthodoxy (also called Greek Orthodoxy and Russian Orthodoxy) is a Christian tradition which represents the majority of Eastern Christianity. ... The term Eastern Rites may refer to the liturgical rites used by many ancient Christian Churches of Eastern Europe and the Middle East that, while being part of the Roman Catholic Church, are distinct from the Latin Rite or Western Church. ... The term Oriental Orthodoxy refers to the churches of Eastern Christian traditions that keeps the faith of only the first three ecumenical councils of the undivided Church - the councils of Nicea, Constantinople and Ephesus. ...

Icons

Theotokos of Vladimir Download high resolution version (456x681, 221 KB)Our Lady of Vladimir (12th century), the holy protectress of Russia, now in the Tretyakov Gallery. ... Theotokos of Vladimir The Theotokos of Vladimir, also known as the Virgin of Vladimir or Vladimirskaya, (Russian: -- the Mother of God, of Vladimir) is one of the most venerated Orthodox icons. ...	Theotokos Panachranta, illumination from the Gertrude Psalter. Image File history File links Panachranta. ... The Gertrude Psalter is a medieval illuminated manuscript (also known as Egbert Psalter or Trier Psalter). ...	Mother of God (ΜΡ ΘΥ), mosaic icon, Hagia Sophia Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1576x1893, 314 KB) Description: Title: de: Mosaiken in der Hagia Sophia, Szene: Deesis, Detail: Maria, Fragment Technique: de: Mosaik Dimensions: Country of origin: de: Türkei Current location (city): de: Istanbul Current location (gallery): de: Hagia Sophia Other notes: de: Werkstatt... Hagia Sophia as it appears today A section of the original architecture of Hagia Sophia Hagia Sophia (Church of Holy Wisdom), now known as the Ayasofya Museum, is a former Eastern Orthodox church converted to a mosque, now converted into a museum, in the Turkish city of Istanbul. ...	Theotokos of St Theodore The 10th-century Fedorovskaya icon from Kostroma. ... Kostroma (Russian: ) is a historic city in central Russia, administrative centre of the Kostroma Oblast. ...
Mother of God, mosaic fresco, Gelati Monastery Image File history File links Gelati_Theotokos. ... Gelati Monastery The Monastery of the Virgin - Gelati near Kutaisi (Imereti region of Western Georgia) was founded by the King of Georgia David the Builder (1089-1125) in 1106. ...

References

• Cyril of Alexandria, On the Unity of Christ, John Anthony McGuckin, trans. ISBN 0-88141-133-7
• McGuckin, John Anthony, St. Cyril of Alexandria: The Christological Controversy (1994, and reprinted 2004) ISBN 0-88141-259-7 A full description of the events of Third Ecumenical Council and the people and issues involved.

Cyril I (376 – June 27, 444), surnamed The Pillar of Faith, was Pope of Alexandria. ... John Anthony McGuckin (born 1952) is an Orthodox Christian scholar, priest, and poet. ...

See also

• Blessed Virgin Mary
• Christology
• Panagia
• Dormition of the Theotokos

Blessed Virgin Mary A traditional Catholic picture sometimes displayed in homes. ... Christology is that part of Christian theology that studies and defines who Jesus the Christ was and is. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... The Dormition of the Theotokos is the Eastern Orthodox commemoration of the falling asleep or death of Mary, the mother of Jesus. ...

External links

• Theotokos article on the Orthodox Wiki
• Study of the Mother of the Lord the All-Holly Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary by St. Nectarios (in Greek)