The Lost Gospel of Mary: The Mother of Jesus in Three Ancient Texts

by Frederica Mathewes-Green

A remarkable volume features three ancient texts--a brief prayer to Mary found on a scrap of papyrus in Egypt about a hundred years ago, The Gospel of Mary and The Annunciation Hymn of Rejoicing--that open up the life of Mary, and her role in the church, in new and sometimes startling ways. $10,000 ad/promo.

Genres: Religion, Theology, Christian, Faith, Christianity, History, Nonfiction

159 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Amy Eckert · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a lifelong Protestant, the Virgin Mary was overall an avoided topic in my circles. Now, as an Orthodox catechumen, it has been a great joy to dig in to her life, and the roles she played, and plays even now.

I thoroughly enjoyed these three ancient texts about her, and the beautiful window into the past that they brought.

[Meghan Safstrom Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply wonderful - I was so stunned by what Frederica presented as narrative found in the Protoevangelium of James, etc., on Mary and the stories passed down in the church regarding her. I listened on Audible, so now I need to go back and read it because there was so much packed within it that I want to better digest.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are presently in the season of Advent, an ideal time to take a look at a question of mine: how do the Orthodox approach Mary? I know she’s held in some regard in the Orthodox traditions, because I’ve heard an exquisitely beautiful canon devoted to her. Frederica Mathews-Greene has been my guide to the Orthodox before, so I began this with great interest and was not disappointed. It is not a full book on Mary; instead, it introduces three ‘texts’ — a Gospel of Mary, a 3rd century prayer, and a similarly ancient hymn — that indicate that Marian devotion is not a not western Catholic novelty, but rather part of the early Christian experience which later became exaggerated or ignored altogether by later traditions. Mathewes-Green joins these materials together with historical and theological commentary, after a clarifying introduction which reveals this Gospel was not “lost”, but simply unknown to the western church.

The Gospel of Mary has the most substance, so I’ll render a quick precis: Mary is born after her aging parents, remorseful about their lack of progeny, pledge any child born to God’s service. Mary is born and enters the service of the Temple at age three, working there until she nears puberty at which point the priests are commanded by God to summon the area’s widowers to the temple. Joseph is among that number, and is barked by a dove to be her husband. Although he has second thoughts when she confesses that’s she’s pregnant, a dream of God assures him that all is well, and he stands by her when the community tries them for sin. They survive the trial, and enroute to Bethlehem for the tax business, Mary gives birth in a cave. Jesus is then hidden in an ox manger from King Herod, who was warned that the king of the Jews had just been born. His cousin John the Baptist is hidden in a mountain, while John’s father is murdered for refusing to say anything.

There are several parallels in the Gospel of Mary to other stories Christians would be familiar with; a midwife not believing Mary’s virginity until she’d personally tested it with her hands recalls Thomas’ doubt in the Resurrection stories, and Frederica points out that a shrouded baby in a cave carries far more meaning when the reader looks ahead to see that same body, again shrouded, again in a cave some thirty-three years later. As much as I value learning how old Mary’s place among Christian devotion is — regarding her with protective affection, then as an elder sister — I also enjoyed Mathews-Green’s commentary in general.

[Rob Chappell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains translations of, and commentary on, three ancient Christian texts relating to the Virgin Mary: the Protevangelium of James, the "Sub Tuum Praesidium" prayer, and the Akathist Hymn. All of these are important and indispensable to understanding how the Virgin Mary was remembered and understood by the earliest generations of Christians, from the 2nd to the 6th centuries CE. The translations are straightforward and easily followed, and the commentaries (on facing pages) are always insightful. Introductory and concluding materials by the author are also extremely helpful to grasping the meaning of these invaluable treasures of the ancient Church.

The texts in this book remind us that Mary belongs to ALL Christians, not just to Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christians. They also show us that by extolling the Virgin Mary, the earliest Christians were attempting to show the rest of the world that women had equal status to men in the sight of God, and that people should honor women and their contributions to history and society just as much as they honor men. In other words, let's be fair and tell both history and herstory! :)

I would highly recommend this volume to Christians of all persuasions, and to historians of ideas. Its presentations of early Marian materials are clear, concise, and very illuminating.

[J. Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good work.

[Nicole Roccas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my second time reading this book, the first time was several years ago and I was trying to read it on my kindle (would not recommend, as the formatting sucks and the line-by-line commentary does not align with the proper bits of primary source text).

The texts Frederica explores are very old, but her insights are new and refreshing. Admittedly, I've never been a "Mary person," despite being Orthodox--I've just never connected with her in the way Frederica and others seem to have. Frederica paints things in a comprehensible light through her many comparisons and casual anecdotes. In particular, it is a helpful resource in making sense of the effusive Byzantine praise of Mary. As Frederica stated at one point, it is the kind of praise you would have for a hometown hero who went out in the world and made good--Mary come from the hometown of humanity and said yes in a way we can all be proud of and amazed by.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was blown away by this book. The author, Frederica Mathewes-Green, has a gift of writing clearly and simply to her reader. Growing up Catholic I experienced Mary as a prominent figure in the Church, but I never could understand why the Church has the doctrine it does and why such a focus on her. Figuring that the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church share the same roots, I was curious what the Eastern Orthodox Church thought of Mary. The author, taking the Bible, as well as, the writings of the early Christians clearly and cleverly lay out how the early Christians viewed Mary. It was fascinating to read, and I had a couple "aha" moments, as the author is able to write so I could understand in my heart, not just my head. Highly recommend if you would like some background as to the why's and how's of Marian doctrine.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm never sure what to think about these "outside gospels" as I heard one man call gnostics and such. But I do love that the women may have had a say so in Christ life and teachings. After centuries of being silenced. Which all along may have been a great sin in the patriarchy.Maybe we did have a voice the woman hating disciple Peter discarded.
How would a real mother feel knowing her son, was the sacrificial lamb? I am Uniterian so I look into all religions with some suspicion. But I can say, IF I were Christ mom the feelings expressed by Mary in these " Gospels " would not explain my pains well enough at his crucifiction.

[David Withun · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[Roger DeBlanck · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I take away most from Mathewes-Green’s book is that the early Christians did not rely exclusively on the canonical Scriptures as their only primary source of knowledge and understanding of God, Jesus, and Mary. They also consulted an array of works and texts that included biographies, sermons, letters, biblical commentaries, debate notes, and other written materials to engage with and strengthen their spirituality. Many contemporary Christians are either unaware of these vast amounts of writings or they dismiss them as irrelevant because they deem the Bible the only resource necessary to understanding God.

Mathewes-Green contests this idea by focusing on three ancient texts that early Christians embraced in helping them connect with the Blessed Mother Mary. Most of her book focuses on the Protevangelium of James, also referred to as the Gospel of Mary. She explains that this “lost” gospel demonstrates how early Christian communities valued and cherished a young girl, which throughout history has been an antithetical position for a community to have because newborn girls were so often perceived as burdensome mouths to feed and many times killed off. The Lost Gospel of Mary proves how early Christians did, indeed, devote their love to a girl, and they trusted in Mary as the divine intermediary God chose to carry out His plan.

In addition to the “lost” gospel, she focuses on a brief and lovely prayer that early Christians used to connect with Mary. It is the oldest known prayer to the Blessed Mother, but as Mathewes-Green makes clear, this prayer she refers to as “Under Your Compassion” was probably invoked and passed on in oral traditions long before it was first written down around 250 AD. Lastly, she focuses on the lengthy and beautiful hymn to Mary written by St. Romanos in 475 AD. She refers to Romanos’s work as the “Annunciation Hymn” and she says this complex piece of writing demonstrates the great praise that early Christians bestowed upon the Blessed Mother.

[Alex of Yoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good in-depth look at Mary, the mother of Christ, as seen through the lens of ancient Christianity. It's written by an author that I love, and is both informative and engaging. It's a quick read, but still rich!

The author takes us through 3 ancient texts about Mary: The Protoevangelium of James, an ancient prayer, and the Akathist to the Theotokos written by St. Romanos (which is timely, considering I'm reading this during Lent when that Akathist is typically sung in Orthodox churches). She translates all three texts herself, adds very helpful, page-by-page commentary, and includes lengthy introductions to each piece explaining its history, why it's important, and what we can learn from it about how the early Christians viewed Mary. It's conversational in tone and not at all too heady or scholarly.

I liked how this is written for the everyday Christian and how the author challenges common Western views of Mary. I love her gentle tone and the way she explains in detail why every point is important without assuming the reader understands much about Orthodoxy or church history. That makes it so very accessible to virtually anyone!

I absolutely LOVED the point she made about how the Protoevangelium (Gospel of Mary, as she titles it) emphasizes cherishing a little girl, making the connection for the reader that in that ancient culture as well as in our own modern world, little girls are often seen as burdens and are frequently aborted or abandoned. Cherishing Mary has implications on how we look at and view young girls, as precious and sacred instead of lesser or superfluous. What a needed message!

Sometimes I felt like the author got a little tangential, but it wasn't bad. The book is so short, honestly I would've loved more from it especially in helping the reader apply some of the things they've learned. But it was still really good, and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone looking to learn more about Mary, the early Christian church, or Orthodoxy in general.

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not as much a book to learn about Mary as it is a book to learn how the early Church thought about her—thought that continues in the Orthodox Church today. Theology is important and, if you understand church history, you will find that there are places that it hasn’t changed.

[Sarah Culver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting, I still do not feel the connection to Mary that I hoped I would after reading but I did learn a lot.

[Corinne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very encouraging book to read during Lent. Frederica M-G is not only an Orthodox priest’s wife but a scholar who is able to explain and expound on the teachings about Mary whom the Orthodox Church refers to as the Theotokos.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful meditation on Mary.
The hymn written by St Romanos is profound.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reread in Spring 2015

" . . . any beauty perceived is ultimately due to the presence of Christ. A saint is just an ordinary person who has been filled with the spirit of Christ. The quality that distinguishes one saint from another is like that of the light streaming from lanterns made of different shades of glass. Each human being is an unrepeatable individual, and to fail to be a saint is to eternally deprive the kingdom of God of one irreplaceable shade of radiance. As the French philosopher Jean Bloy wrote, 'There is but one sorrow: not to become a saint'" (101).

Story of St. Andrew Fool-for-Christ and the Protection of the Mother of God on pp. 101-103.

"When the church was still young, an attentive, informed laity was able to resist strange moral and theological ideas even when these were propounded by clergy. St. Basil the Great describes fourth-century worshipers who met 'in the open air, in heavy rain, in the snow, . . . and under the blazing heat of the sun' rather than enter churches held by priests who were followers of Arius" (122).

"Mary's virgin conception, in particular, has been considered in light of the Hebrew Scriptures. In this miracle, God altered the course of nature by his own will and power. Yet he did this while preserving the delicate harmony of the female human body, his own creation. This great miracle waited on the permission of a girl, and was achieved without compromising the integrity of her vulnerable natural body" (124).

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here you will learn what Christians have thought and taught about Mary for the last 2000 years. The Orthodox Church has preserved the memory of Mary and her story beyond what appears in scripture in its liturgical life and traditions, and now has rediscovered the original writings. The introduction is enlightening and very well done, as is the translation, and the inclusion of the Akathist Hymn to the Theotokos fleshes this work out very well. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to learn more about what the original Orthodox Christian church thought and taught about Mary, the Mother of Christ our God.

[Tracy]

Interesting. Western scholars call it the Protevangelium of James, because James the Just from the New Testament,claimed to have written it. He died in AD 62. Was not really "lost" as in buried in the desert, but rejected by Western Christians. Put into written form as early as AD 150. It tells the story of the Virgin Mary starting at her conception and birth.

[Heather Why · Rating 5 out of 5]

This won't be 5 stars for everyone, and it's unlikely I will recommend it to very many people, but as someone who has stumbled around my relationship with the saints, particularly Mary, this one was the door I needed.

[Lksreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having loved MG’s “Two Views of the Cross,” and diving into mariology, I had to check out her book on the history (and sometimes pseudohistory) of Mary. This leaned much more heavily into history and authenticity than theology, so reading Mary As the Early Christians Knew Her was like looking through a window into the lives of the eastern faithfuls in the first centuries of the growing, albeit persecuted church.

While MG makes it clear what her theological interpretation on Mary’s role in the incarnation means for Christians as an Orthodox Christian, she doesn’t take any slanted or biased stance in her examination of the referenced texts. The texts she explores are the non-canonical, dogmatically apocryphal Protoevangelium of James, the Sub Tuum Praesidium, and the Akathist Hymn.

This was my first read of the Protoevangelium, otherwise known as the Gospel of Mary and or Gospel of James among the other “infancy gospels.” MG is consistent in providing history, citing the reasons for this gospel accounts rejection as canon, while still extrapolating the nuggets of truths that are found in the account that would later become accepted in eastern traditions.

Oral tradition but more importantly (for western thinkers) is the related documentation and discussion on this “Gospel.” While you do have notorious rejections of parts of this account by the likes of Saint Jerome, you have equal endorsements from other saints like Maximus the Confessor. Nevertheless, harmony is still present with the canonized gospels and Old Testament parallels.

Overall, MG’s synthesis on The Protoevangelium shows an account of Mary’s life that despite being apocryphal, was never by any account heretical, and its popularity and acceptance by the early church indicates that Mary was a beloved maternal figure that every Christian adopted as their own mother.

The Sub Tuum Praesidium - the “Beneath Thy Compassion” prayer is the first known prayer to, or intercessory plea to Mary who is called the Theotokos in its language. This prayer, dated on papyrus, predates the canonized Bible itself. Through this prayer alone, you see the expansion of Christian thought on the God-bearer being a bastion of protection.

Other adjacent documentation regarding miracles and other cherished hymns or variations of this prayer supports the eastern theologies of intercession, and Mary’s boldness as the mother of Christ to importune her Son to hear our prayers.

Lastly, the Akathist hymn - in and of itself, the Akathist is theologically rich and teaches a theology that is lost or completely rejected by western churches today. Again, the composition of this hymn shows how the early church viewed Mary much more closely to the context of their time period and traditional teachings than we do now, attributing a dozen roles to her, and a dozen praises to reflect their adoration of her as the Mother of the Church.

In a much more rich and thoughtful way than this review, MG’s synthesis of early Christian texts reveals that Mary was, and is, a pillar of the Christian faith.

The early church understood Mary as more than a woman - but as the new Eve, the new Arc, the very same rock that Moses struck to produce a stream of living water, the womb that contained what Heaven and Earth itself could not restrain. By her obedience they attributed her as righteous, by her prayers they found protection and strength, and as her Son gave her honor, so they gave her honor.

[Ali M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a fan of Frederica Mathewes-Green. Her writing is so accessible, making very dense subjects enjoyable, and her touches of humor are all perfectly placed.

I really enjoyed this slim little book on Mary, the Mother of God. I had read and heard of references to the Protevangelium of James in my journey to Orthodoxy but this is the first time I had read the text in full. What a delight it was! Especially with FMG’s own evident delight coming through in the accompanying notes. This very popular story (FMG tells us we can tell it was very popular by the number of copies that have been discovered) tells us how loved and cherished Mary was even as a child. This love and regard lavished on her just warmed my heart. Indeed, the effect of all three texts presented here (the Protevangelium, an ancient prayer and the Akathist Hymn) is one of great love.

I have a more perfect understanding of Mary after reading this book. I was often confused by the Catholic theological concept elevating Mary to the status of co-redemptrix. Understanding that she was, that her yes, was vital to God’s plan and that she is one of us – or as FMG writes, “Everything earthly about Christ’s body – everything that’s us – was supplied through Mary’s own body,” makes me feel closer to her. FMG likens her to a “hometown hero who made good.” I think we all have a special place in our hearts for such heroes. As a woman, I love that FMG highlights that God chose a girl for this important job. Her courage and certainty in that moment, and really for her entire life, fills me with admiration and respect.

FMG’s story of Mary has turned me, in modern parlance, into a fan-girl. I always had a love and respect for Mary as the Mother of God, but the details of her life given in this book and an explication of the theological implications of her choices and actions have filled me with awe and my heart to overflowing. I love that Mary is a motherly presence still in our lives, and I find myself turning to her in prayer more and more. I am so grateful to FMG for bringing this fullness to my understanding and to my prayer life.

[Jessica Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rejoice O unmarried Bride! Giving the Mother of God her proper due:

In the christian faiths of the west there is undeniable and even aggressive anti-Mary sentiments. The push back by Protestantism against the corruption of the Latin Catholic Church in Rome have often lead to the outright rejection of the holiness of the woman that God chose to bear the savior of the world. While God loved her and valued her is something quite special, she becomes nothing more than a footnote in the birth story at Christmas. We do this at our own detriment.

Anti-maranism makes sense through a historical lens. I understand why Protestants and other Christians seeking to leave behind a corrupt church power structure would have taken umbridge with some of the more ridiculous and even cultist behaviors of Mary worship. However, It is unfair and inaccurate to term all reverence for the Mother of God as worship, just as it is improper to utterly ignore her important role in the salvation of mankind. To love the Mother of God is not to worship her as though she was God.

Frederica does a wonderful job of placing (orthodox) church tradition about Mary in a more appropriate light. She elucidates the love that early Christians had for Mary, in direct juxtaposition to the sentiment toward women in the rest of the ancient world. Do yourself a favor and do not skip the footnotes. Historical context matters, audience matters, tradition matters. In our self-centered time we assume all writings and stories are made for an audience of one, ourselves in our time, and again we do this to our own detriment.

To know Mary as the early Christians knew her is to participate in the love that Christ had for his mother, and to care for her memory as John the beloved cared for her at Christ's command on the cross. We owe her respect, gratitude, love, and more than a passing thought during the Christmas nativity pageant.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Her hands steadied the first steps of him who steadied the earth to walk upon; her lips helped the Word of God to form his first human words." - St. John of Damascus AD 676-780

The above quote stunned me when read. Since my son's death in 2013, I've been searching for a word, anything, from Mary. The story of Mary and Jesus is the first famous and intimate death of a child before a parent in which there might have been a written record.

I was unaware that there was a Gospel of Mary. As the author states, this is not written by Mary, but what her peers wrote about her. How the word of mouth story(s) were recorded. The author also includes citations alongside of the text for greater clarity and understanding of the context.

The "lost" means that the work was rejected by Western Christians, along with being forgotten. That sentence, in the initial pages of the book, was enlightening and truthful, in my opinion, as much of the text has not been heard by this Christian who has only existed in the "West."

For me, today, "The most valuable aspects of these stories for early Christians was that they show how Mary was used by God to complete his plan." God would expect us to participate in his work. Mary, meaning bittersweet, is just a humble girl with no fame or fortune.

It is a very good read of an ancient text; provides a clearer understanding of Mary as her peers knew her and the events she experienced, and clears up conflicting ideas both learned and surmised.

Take the time to absorb the words within. You will be glad you did.

[Stephanie Fehler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perspective for those wondering "Why Mary"?

A few months ago, disenchanted with the Protestant traditions we'd grown up jn, we took our many children and sat at the back of a Ukrainian Catholic church. After speaking with the priest, we realized that this was a variation of the Eastern Orthodox faith. Ir's Bern months now of going , learning, experiencing with all our senses, but like most Prorestants, I still did not understand the emphasis placed on Mary, the Theotokos. This book explains, beautifully, the history and motivation. But I felt like I would have liked to see addressed the Biblical passage where a woman yells to Jesus , " Blessed are the breasts that nursed you!" And Jesus says, "Blessed rather are they who hear and brlieve." I think FMG does address this in another writing saying Jesus was still pointing to Mary as an example, but I am still not entirely at peace with the veneration. I do understand it a little better after reading this book.

[Willa Guadalupe Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a Roman Catholic convert, the author is an Eastern Orthodox believer, but I would recommend this book both to Christians who know why Mary is important to their worship of Jesus & those who do not find her important. The beliefs of the earliest Christians are so informative to me as a modern Christian. There is so much in both the canonical & non-canonical writings that the early Christians simply understood because they were within a few generations of the living Christ, while we need to work to understand things that were written & what they actually meant to those who wrote them. This little book is a perfect pearl of that wisdom & understanding. It is a window into the beliefs that early Christians held of Mary & her role in salvation. I will keep & re-read this book as a treasure.

[Kelly Mine · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who has always been immersed in Protestant theology and attitudes toward Mary, I found this book to be very enlightening, and frankly, a breath of fresh air. FM-G writes with simplicity and sincere desire to bring her readers to an understanding of Orthodox faith in a way that is winsome and loving. I found myself very present in the part of the book in which she reads the Protoevangelium of James (or as she calls it, the Gospel of Mary) which is an ancient text that conveys the oral tradition that the early church would have known and understood as Mary's part of the story of the Annunciation and birth of Christ. I feel I know so much better this incredible woman who gave birth to our Savior.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good introduction to gain an understanding of why the early Christians and Orthodox and Catholic Christians of today hold Mary in high regard. There are 3 early texts translated from the original Greek by the author herself.

I grew up in a tradition that relegates Mary to Christmas and the other footnote stories in the gospels. After reading this, I can see that if we think about the role of motherhood and how Mary would have influenced and taught Jesus, then done the same to early Christians in the church, she should be given honor and love, as she was chosen by God to grow Jesus in her own body. She said yes and agreed to serve God in this way in the face of great personal risk and sacrifice. We can learn a lot from Mary.

[Paul Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an important account for Orthodox Christians to read. It was not included in the Gospel canon but was still revered and viewed as important reading by the Church Fathers. All the background and explanations of the feasts of the Mother of God are written here. The Church still honors by tradition the events in this book. Frederica Green does complicate the reading a bit by including too many different versions. Making it more of an academic volume than if there was one book with one Gospel of Mary as it was intended. I suggest reading one of the versions and skipping all the introductions and commentary. As an Orthodox Christian, the writing will all make a lot of sense and fit everything together very well. It is like reading something new that is very familiar.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up evangelical, we didn’t talk much about Mary. We thought Catholic devotion to Mary was excessive at best and, at worst, idolatry. Even if that was sometimes true, evangelicals overcorrected.

For Advent I read “Mary as the Early Christians Knew Her,” by Frederica Mathewes-Green. It introduced me to three extraordinary ancient Christian texts about Mary. A summary of what I learned: early Christians were protective of Mary, they asked her to pray for them as they would a friend or relative, and they honored her as the Theotokos, the “Birthgiver of God.”

Full review here: https://johnepattison.substack.com/p/...

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I had known all there was to learn about Mary but I was so, so wrong. This insightful book gave me so much more to think about and so much more to appreciate. And I loved the historical perspectives of the early Christian faith the author presents. This was a wonderful read and has made me want to get more by this author.
I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway for this honest review.