I am an Enneagram 9 and, as such, I love nothing more than to bring two opposing sides together. Though my desire for peace can devolve into ignoring problems to superficially “keep the peace,” my true desire is to clarify differences so that the two camps can understand each other more accurately. They don’t have to agree, but they can accept and respect one another and, in some cases, decide to compromise.
Earlier this year, as I decided upon a dissertation topic for my doctoral program, a friend amused me greatly with her response to my elevator pitch. “You can’t get much more ‘Enneagram 9’ of a topic than that!” It took me a minute, but I burst out laughing as her comment clicked. At least I’m consistent!
So, what’s my rough draft thesis?*
That historical ideas about Mary, the mother of Jesus, have both overstated and understated, in wildly opposite ways, her significance to Christians. I propose that she is best admired as a model of discipleship for all believers—nothing more but also nothing less.
[Should I duck? 👀]
Where have scholars exaggerated or downplayed Mary’s significance? And what about her can we agree on? With a Catholic education in my formative years followed by a thoroughly evangelical seminary training, I feel much like a border walker. Maybe I can use my life experience to help both sides make sense of a polarizing figure (or maybe I’ll get run out on a rail?).
An Excerpt from My Introduction
Catholics often revere her, but why? She was a simple country girl when Gabriel appeared with his life-changing news. What about her humble obedience turned her into an almost-divine character adored around the globe for centuries?
Protestants tend to ignore her, a habit that I intend to reveal as short-sighted. The Bible actually gives us a rich picture of Jesus’s mother. Where Mary appears in Scripture:
Jesus’s genealogy
The Annunciation
The Visitation
The Nativity
The Presentation at the Temple
With the magi
The escape to Egypt
Losing Jesus in the Temple
Wedding at Cana
When she and his family came looking for Jesus
At the cross
At Pentecost
We will explore each passage in which she is mentioned, focusing on three admirable traits—her belief in Jesus as the Messiah, her theological intelligence, and her enduring presence with Jesus and his followers. These qualities, I believe, show her to be Jesus’s first and most steadfast disciple. (Mary knew.😉)
In the chapters ahead, I will trace the history of interpretation related to Mary, following the scholars to see how they developed her character from a humble, faithful woman found on the pages of Scripture into the Queen of Heaven who enjoys special intercessory privileges with her Son. How and why did theologians devise such a complicated theology of Jesus’s mother? I will proceed chronologically.
Chapter Breakdown
Chapter One will explore the early church teachings and traditions, from the first to the fifth centuries. Which qualities of Mary did scholars emphasize, and why? Which writings, biblical and extra-biblical, influenced them? What dogma became established teaching about her?
Chapter Two continues tracing the history of Mariology through the Medieval period, roughly 400s–1300s. During this long season, the church became mainstream and exploded in growth. The cult of the Blessed Virgin Mary grew with it. Using texts and artwork, we’ll highlight prominent thinkers and events that added to her popularity.
Chapter Three explores the Reformers’ impact on Mary’s cult. How did the Reformation so firmly squelch the veneration of Mary? What did theologians communicate regarding her value to the Christian life? Why was her motherhood essential to her value, but not much else? And what sort of role model would she be to women in particular?
Chapter Four returns us to the biblical text. Here I offer an exegetical examination of Mary as the Bible reveals her to us. What impact did her fiat (her ‘yes’ to God’s invitation) have on salvation history, and how can her example inspire us to similar humble acceptance of God’s call? In what ways did she point others to her Son? What drove her to witness the crucifixion? Why is it significant that she birthed his physical body and was present at the birth of his metaphorical body, the church? So many questions to unpack. I will engage with the historical interpretations covered in chapters 1–3, measuring them against the authoritative Word of God.
My Hope
In the end, true to my Enneagram nine-ness, I hope to persuade my readers that Mary, while perhaps not quite Queen of Heaven, is far more than just a mother. Yes, she is the mother of God, but she is above all an exceptional disciple of her Son. In her trust, wisdom, and steadfastness, every believer—Catholic and Protestant, male and female—can find her a worthy example of faithfulness.
*I reserve the right to edit any of this, especially when my advisors so advise. Stay tuned … I’m sure I will share more as my research develops.
This sounds fascinating, Kelley! And I actually always appreciate--and benefit from--your border-walking insights.
Congratulations for striking a very readable tone and a very interesting take on this quite complicated subject. This looks like something I very much would like to read. Even when I was a practicing Catholic, I always felt uncomfortable in those end-of-Mass rituals, very common in some parishes, in which everyone "consecrated" their lives to Mary and said they "venerated" her. From the research you've done so far, does the idea (often floated around in Protestant and Evangelical conversations) that Mary was used, historically, as a cover to continue adoring preexisting goddesses hold water?
P.S. Very curious to know your take on the way Mary is presented in the series The Chosen.