Friday, September 20, 2019

Donald Goergen on Mary being a Model of a Faithful, Chaste Believer


I have written much on the topic of Mariology, including a book entitled Behold the Mother of My Lord: Towards a Mormon Mariology (2017). While I do believe that Roman Catholicism, and to a somewhat lesser extent, Eastern Orthodoxy, proclaim false doctrines, dogmas, and practices about the mother of Jesus, at the same time, Mary, being a sister in the faith and having the singularly unique role of being the Messiah’s mother, should still be spoken highly of and be used more in our talks and lessons. Indeed, in the following from Donald Goergen (Protestant), we see how Mary is a wonderful example of one living a faithful, chaste life:

Mary in her life of dedication to God as a young Jewish girl gives witness to this life of holiness. It is not so much that she is “Virgin Mary” as that she is “Holy Mary.” Whether or not her virginity remained throughout her life is not the question; she remained true to God throughout her life and therefore true to herself. She was a supreme exemplification to holiness. Holy Mary was the mother of Jesus of Nazareth.

Mary’s virginity, then, is most appropriately understood in this context of chastity, faith, holiness, and prayer. She is the model of the prayer later to be taught by her son, “Thy will be done.” She teaches us how to prayer; she teaches that the apex of prayer is an act of faith. Whether we speak of Mary as a virgin or not is really not the important question. If we wish to interpret our understanding of virginity so that we see virginity not only in its physicality, but also in its holiness. Mary remains a supreme exemplification of the virginal life. The essence of virginity is union with God. Insofar as Mary is an exemplification of faith and holiness, she is an analogous exemplification of virginal living. In this sense, she always has been and will continue to be the virgin par excellence. She gives us rue testimony as to what virginity really is, a life lived in search of and service of the Father. (Donald Goergen, The Sexual Celibate [London: SPCK, 1979], 130)