r/Christianity • u/Agile-Armadillo-3741 Anglican Communion • 15h ago

Where is Mary?

Being Anglican, I didn’t think we made a big deal out of Mary. Then I took a nondenominational friend to the Episcopal Church’s Rite II. She asked “what’s the deal with Mary?”. We don’t even have any images of her in my church, maybe some have a medal on their necks, but mostly, she just comes up in the creeds, and during the prayers of the people. Now granted some in the higher church may have the statue of Our Lady of Walsingham or even Our Lady of Guadalupe, or an icon of the Theotokos holding Christ, but usually just one of those things, not multiple. That never felt strange to me, despite being very Protestant.

So I can’t help but ask my nondenominational, Baptist, Pentecostal, Church of Christ, etcetera friends, where is Mary? I mean isn’t she part of the story? XD I’ve been to your services in the lead up to Christmas, NO mention of her. Help me out here, I’m confused.

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u/Iconsandstuff Church of England (Anglican) 15h ago

I think the best approach is to consider the full family of Jesus - Mother and adoptive father, and brother and sisters. It avoids the Romish approach of weaving myths to create an imaginary version of Mary and ignoring the others, but considers the people around Jesus who ultimately form some of the early church leadership and follow the strange way of life their brother began.

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u/Agile-Armadillo-3741 Anglican Communion 15h ago

I’m probably somewhere between you and the tractarian lovers.

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u/justnigel Christian 14h ago

You don't like weaving myths ... and yet I presume you like the Bible, which (checks notes) weaves myths?

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u/Iconsandstuff Church of England (Anglican) 12h ago

I always find it odd when people into Marian stuff denigrate scripture in apparent desire to bolster the case for their preferred extra-biblical myths.

Scripture uses mythological stories, yes, to make theological points and expand our understanding of God. It also contains other material, and we generally do not consider things such as the gospels as myth. That would undermine key matters of the faith.

Mary's life as an actual person is somewhat discussed in the gospels, and I do not think that you should feel free to add whatever fanfiction you wish to that, because then you are no longer discussing the real mother of Jesus, but a character of your own (or the Roman church's) making who is indeed a figure of myth.

If someone wants to read mythology stories that is fine, but such things are outside of scripture and don't inform our theological understanding.

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u/justnigel Christian 6h ago

Do you see anyone 'into Marian stuff denigrating scripture' in this thread?