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The Virgin Goddess: Studies in the Pagan and Christian Roots of Mariology
The contemporary search for the feminine face of God is requiring a re-examination of the relationship of Christianity to the pagan world in which it came to birth. Stephen Benko approaches this study as both an historian and a Christian believer. Inquiring into extra-biblical sources of Marian piety, belief and doctrine, he proposes 'that there is a direct line, unbroken and clearly discernible, from the goddess-cults of the ancients to the reverence paid and eventually the cult accorded to the Virgin Mary.' Chapter by chapter he seeks to establish his conclusion that 'in Mariology the Christian genius preserved and transformed some of the best and noblest ideas that paganism developed. Rather than being a 'regression' into Paganism, Mariology is a progression toward a clearer and better understanding of the feminine aspect of the divine and the role of the female in the history of salvation.'
This publication has also been published in hardback, please click here for details.
This publication has also been published in hardback, please click here for details.
293 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1993
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December 7, 2015
I wasn't altogether convinced by the reasoning connecting Mary to the Phrygian Great Mother. Suggesting that Salome from the Protoevangelion has some connection with Semele the mother of Dionysus seemed particularly far-fetched.
The author stated explicitly that this was not a feminist reading of the question of Mary's identity but this perspective could have brought some useful depth to his analysis. All the ancient goddesses were treated as primarily fertility or mother goddesses, thus ignoring the complexity of their roles and identities which often went far beyond reproductive power. His perspective also ignores any potential problems with suggesting that Mary's role as Queen of Heaven is a way of including a 'feminine face' in the perception of the Godhead when the Mary that he portrays is notable only for assenting to being impregnated and being a mother rather than any wider concept of being a woman.
By contrast, Isis, for example, is not only the mother of Horus and wife of Osiris, she is also ruler, trickster, magician, lawgiver, weathermaker and so on. Fundamentally, the ancient goddesses were far more than the compliant partners of gods, so a much broader perspective on Mary is needed for her to be perceived as meaningfully equivalent. Perhaps an exploration of Mary as speaker of the revolutionary Magnificat would be a step in the right direction...
The author stated explicitly that this was not a feminist reading of the question of Mary's identity but this perspective could have brought some useful depth to his analysis. All the ancient goddesses were treated as primarily fertility or mother goddesses, thus ignoring the complexity of their roles and identities which often went far beyond reproductive power. His perspective also ignores any potential problems with suggesting that Mary's role as Queen of Heaven is a way of including a 'feminine face' in the perception of the Godhead when the Mary that he portrays is notable only for assenting to being impregnated and being a mother rather than any wider concept of being a woman.
By contrast, Isis, for example, is not only the mother of Horus and wife of Osiris, she is also ruler, trickster, magician, lawgiver, weathermaker and so on. Fundamentally, the ancient goddesses were far more than the compliant partners of gods, so a much broader perspective on Mary is needed for her to be perceived as meaningfully equivalent. Perhaps an exploration of Mary as speaker of the revolutionary Magnificat would be a step in the right direction...
Displaying 1 of 1 review