Prof’s notes – Hilda Graef pages 60 to 78 [very important pages]

Ambrose 339 to 397 1st true “Mariologist” Bishop of Milan (374) Mediated with the Arians Fought against worship of Kybele (Cybil) – Mater Magna Established the christological context  human birth of Jesus He “who was of the Father” took flesh from the Virgin … she “conferred flesh” Gk use of Theotokos not used a lot .. preferred “Mater Dei” but seemed to Ambrose a danger to use it Is 7:14  proof of Christ’s godhead Asserted in partu against Jovinian but said Christ “opened his mother’s womb” Asserted both in partu and post partum as church doctrine [re: Ez 44:1 ff] On Mt 1:18-25 (entrusted to John at the cross) Mary’s physical purity/moral integrity Luke 8:21 not negative … no doubt under the cross for Mary Interprets the “sword of Simeon” differently  based on Mary’s knowledge of the passion / foreshadows idea of Mater Dolorosa of the Middle Ages  compared to the cloud in Is 19:1 Mary is first of the redeemed There is divided opinion on Ambrose’s opinion of “immaculate conception” He never attributed sinlessness to Mary Referred to the Eve/Mary parallel Song of Songs !:4 Black – sinned / beautiful – loved by Christ (human nature) Through Mary we come to salvation (for all), he freed John the Baptist of Original Sin

Mary represents the inner life of the redeemed suscipe (terminology of Roman Law) “adopt” Mary is associated with the redeemed but took no part in work of redemptive work of Son on the cross. * Christ alone worked redemption by his passion on the cross Mary only associated by being his mother

Mary is a type of the church – filled with the Holy Spirit (like the Church) Mary is inseparable from the church – her womb is the “mystical body” She stands in relationship to the church [Song of Songs 7:1] Ambrose if the first to connect S of S to the church and to Mary as type of church John and the church become Mary’s children at the cross Mary is the “heavenly” mother but NOT the mother goddess Mary is the image of virtue, model for virgins

Typology of OT passages as Ambrose understood them: Is 19:1 and Ex 13:21 (Ambrose loved “the cloud”) Mary bore flesh, light = her real humanity = her fullness of grace Mary is the “rod of Jesse” Is 11:1 Song of Songs  The Holy Spirit over her (S of S 1:2) and Luke’s Annunciation All in all for Ambrose: Mary is perfect woman - virginal mother of God without sin - pattern for virgins Concerning veneration for Mary – dulia Adoration of God – latria (Mary is the temple of God) not God of the temple Mary  perfect physical and moral purity (because of her divine motherhood) She is inseparable from the church

In the OT – she is: light, unsullied cloud raining salvation, woman who crowned King Solomon She is the vessel, she is temple where God reigns but worship if for Christ alone

Jerome 342-420

He was a biblical scholar - translated the Hebrew Bible into Latin Entered a controversy with Helvidius concerning Mary as the example of virginity AND marriage … who were the brothers and sisters of the Lord? Did they belong to Joseph and Mary? Jerome’s exegesis: Mt 1:18 “before they came together” Mt 1: 25 … “until after her first born Son ..” He doesn’t comment on in partu Jerome disliked the apocrypha! Didn’t trust the PJ. He called it “delirious nonsense” Jerome claimed Joseph was a virgin leading to devotion to Joseph as the “most chaste spouse” which developed after the 15th century Therefore … he explained the “brothers and sisters of the Lord” as cousins Consobrinus such as Lot the cousin (brother) of Abraham, and Jacob the cousin (brother) of Abraham [Most consider Abraham the uncle of Lot]

The Family of Abraham by Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D.

Various biblical passages describe the complex inter-relationships in the family of Abraham (originally named Abram). Contrary to modern Western customs, it was acceptable in ancient times to marry close family relatives, including cousins and nieces. It was evidently also common for men to have more than one wife, and even to have children with women who were not their wives (slaves or concubines). For example, Abraham's first son was the child of his wife's slave-girl; and one biblical tradition even says that his wife, Sarah, was actually his half-sister. Similarly, the twelve sons of Jacob have four different mothers: the two wives of Jacob (who are his first cousins) and two other women (slave-girls of his wives). A prominent feature of the biblical texts is also the explanation of tribal origins through various genealogies. Thus, the Israelites (the twelve tribes of Israel) see themselves as the descendants of the twelve sons of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham. In contrast, groups like the Ishmaelites and Edomites (to the south and southeast of the Israelites) are said to be descendants of Abraham's other children and grandchildren, while the neighboring Moabites and Ammonites (west of Israel) are described as descendants of Lot, Abraham's nephew.

Another important aspect of the biblical stories is what could be called family rivalries and disputes, esp. when younger sons usurp the inheritance rights of their older brothers. Thus, Abraham's inheritance is passed on to Isaac (not the first-born Ishmael), and then to Jacob (not his elder brother Esau).

Combining all the above points helps to explain both the close relationships and the bitter rivalries between the ancient Israelites and the neighboring Semitic peoples. The Israelites (and modern Jews!) believe that the promises God made to Abraham (esp. that his descendants shall possess the Promised Land forever) were legitimately handed on to them through Isaac and Jacob (as described in the Bible), while the descendants of the other tribes (and modern Arabs!) believe that the land should belong to them, since they are descendants of the elder sons (and thus the rightful heirs) of Abraham.

The following charts can help us visualize some of these complex relationships:

Passages that Jerome exegeted; Is 7:14 considered the almah as in Gn 24:43 Found it to mean “hidden”, Mary was a “hidden virgin” Mary was both virgin and hidden Gn 24:43 hidden virgin Is 7:14 hidden virgin Is 19:1 light and cloud Is 11:1 rod (and SS 2:1) SS 4:12 garden sealed Ps 44:14 daughter of the King [Psalm 45 in NAB] Jer 31:22 woman shall encompass a man (his meaning – she conceives God’s Son) Hos 13:15 burning wind in the desert, no seed needed Is 37:22 she is the daughter of Zion [Sion] Is 54:1 she is the virgin daughter Jer 2:32 virgin who forgets her ornament

Concerning the Eve/Mary parallel – Mary escapes the “pains” of childbirth (the curse)

Augustine 354 – 430

He converted from Manicheism (nothing good in the physical world) Augustine avoids using the title “Mother of God” because of paganism He stresses Mary’s childbirth – Christ took flesh from Mary but had a “virginal birth” that was “befitting to God” Claims Mary had “perfect and perpetual virginity” (without using support from Is 7:14) Liked the idea of her “formal vow” at the Annunciation He embraced totally the idea of her VOW OF VIRGINITY Based on current practice of virgins in the church of the day He explained virginity in partu  the risen Christ entered through closed doors Believe not “by reason” but “by faith” He expounded the “blessedness of Mary”  by perceiving the faith of Christ She conceived Christ in her heart She conceived by believing She had no doubt under the cross (as some former Patristics thought) The “sword” was the grief of a mother Mary was part of the church … not above it Augustine wrote that we should all be “mothers of Christ” * the physical motherhood of Mary is the type and pattern of the motherhood of the church” Mary gives birth to the faithful (later the meaning of the Virgin of the Fountain – baptismal font ) She is the prototype of the church She is the most eminent member of the church

Against Pelagius … who said a person’s will can keep man sinless Augustine said Mary is the “exception” .. a privilege was given her

Against Juian of Eclanum … Augustine’s statement on the “immaculate conception” is not completely clear “Mary was under the empire of sin” * Christ alone was free from all sin, original and actual”

Augustine’s conclusion: Mary had perpetual virginity Mary had “personal sinlessness”