Critical Social Inquiry 0220 - The Virgin Mary

The Virgin Mary is not Catholic. When, in 431, the Council of Ephesus declared the Virgin Mary to be Theotokos or God-Bearer, she had already been venerated in Egypt since the third century as a re-instantiation of Isis. The syncretism of her cult explains her ubiquitous popularity in medieval Byzantium and the Latin West, but also early Islamic Syria, Ethiopia, and colonial Latin America. Her frequent depiction on moveable wooden panels (icons) and mosaics accompanied her early rise to liturgical prominence. By 1200, she rivaled Jesus Christ in religious importance, not only through her role as intercessor, but also as dispenser of divine grace in the form of breastmilk. She was the most active miracle-working saint in all of Christianity; Muslims worshipped her on occasion, as well. Her frequent depiction on icons, altarpieces and devotional panels accompanies - and, in part, explains - the development of figurative art in the West. In colonial America, she became known as the Conquistadora; the introduction of her cult ended prior religious forms of expression, but also helped them to partially survive in a new context. Keywords:History, Catholicism, Virgin Mary, Art History, Religion

In/Justice Students should expect to spend 6-8 hours weekly on work and preparation outside of class time.