Temple of God
An Unbroken Vision of the Virgin Mary
Theo Andreou
Since the earliest centuries of Christianity, Christians have been captivated by the Virgin Mary, treating her with great respect and honour. But what was the theological basis of this veneration, and how did it relate to the identity of her Son, Jesus Christ, the Word of God incarnate? This small book aims to answer this question, along with others frequently asked about the Eastern Orthodox perspective of the Mother of God. Our exploration includes the Scriptures, apocryphal material, the writings of Eastern and Western Church Fathers, and the ancient liturgical services and iconography of the Eastern Church. Navigating through this wide range of sources, it aims to preserve both readability and depth, clarity and mystery. It is hoped that by doing so, this book will be useful for enquirers and scholars alike.
It is also hoped that this text will be found useful by Roman Catholics and Protestants who desire to know more about the Orthodox vision of Mary, as well as Orthodox who wish to enter more deeply into their own tradition. Although it mainly concentrates on the patristic and liturgical testimony of the Eastern Church, it equally reflects the perception of Mary held by Christians in the West for the first millennium of Church history.
‘Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be called Emmanuel’
(which means, God with us)’ (Matthew 1.23). The Virgin Mary who contains the uncontainable
is the subject of this book. Like the Virgin Mary, it contains a lot in a little.
Theo Andreou masterfully shows how and why Christians from the early centuries honoured
the Mother of God. He explores this landscape in detail, all the while preserving
the mystery of the Incarnation of God in the flesh. It is an invaluable treasure,
both informative and inspiring, and a must for Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant
readers alike.
Aidan
Hart
Iconographer,
author,
Research
Associate of IOCS Cambridge,
Fellow
of the Temenos Academy
978 1 78182 205 0
188 pages
£15.99
