perpetual virginity
Quick Summary
The doctrine of perpetual virginity, primarily held in Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christianity, is a corollary to the belief in the Virgin Birth of Jesus. It posits that Mary, the mother of Jesus, remained a virgin not only at the conception of Jesus through the Holy Spirit, but also throughout the birth and for the rest of her life. This belief was accepted by the Council of Chalcedon in 451. While most Protestant churches accept the Virgin Birth, they generally do not accept the concept of perpetual virginity, often referencing biblical mentions of Jesus' brothers and sisters.1
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MariologyThe Virgin Birth, the Immaculate Conception, and intercessory titles…tradition that Mary remained a virgin though she gave birth to Jesus was generally accepted in the early church. A further appreciation of her holiness led to the doctrine that she was so favored by God’s grace that she could not have sinned and, in the view of some theologians,…
Read More…tradition that Mary remained a virgin though she gave birth to Jesus was generally accepted in the early church. A further appreciation of her holiness led to the doctrine that she was so favored by God’s grace that she could not have sinned and, in the view of some theologians,…
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MaryDogmatic titles…Mary conceived Jesus with her virginity unimpaired, a teaching enshrined in the early Christian creeds and concurred in by the 16th-century reformers as well as by most Protestant churches and believers since the Reformation.
Read More…Mary conceived Jesus with her virginity unimpaired, a teaching enshrined in the early Christian creeds and concurred in by the 16th-century reformers as well as by most Protestant churches and believers since the Reformation.
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Virgin Birth…is the doctrine of her perpetual virginity, not only in conception but in the birth of the child (i.e., she was exempt from the pain of childbirth) and throughout her life. This doctrine is found in the writings of the Church Fathers and was accepted by the Council of Chalcedon…
Read More…is the doctrine of her perpetual virginity, not only in conception but in the birth of the child (i.e., she was exempt from the pain of childbirth) and throughout her life. This doctrine is found in the writings of the Church Fathers and was accepted by the Council of Chalcedon…
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