AIS: Mary, Mother of God.

Catalog description

This course is a tour through millennia of Christian perspectives on the Virgin Mary. Anchored in exegesis of Scripture, students evaluate church tradition as expressed through apocryphal, theological and devotional texts, with a special emphasis on visual art. Together we ask which aspects of the Marian tradition can be affirmed or celebrated, and which aspects should be criticized or rejected. Student projects examine historical theology, visual art and feminist concerns with an eye toward how the Marian tradition can enrich the contemporary church. Students are strongly encouraged to have taken BITH 213 (New Testament Literature and Interpretation) before enrolling in this class.