Modern protestants perpetual virginity mary

An old attack against the perpetual virginity of the Most Blessed Virgin has been swept away by the archaeological discovery of a Jewish tomb in Egypt at Tell el-Yahoudieh, attached to the ancient Leontopolis. It had an inscription in Greek that was published in They repeat the words of Lucian of Samosate c. Helvidius c. Augustine, asserted that the Virgin Mary had children after her virginal birth, children she would have had by St.

The perpetual virginity of Mary is a Marian doctrine , taught by the Catholic Church and held by a number of groups in Christianity, which asserts that Mary the mother of Jesus was "always a virgin , before, during and after the birth of Jesus Christ. By the fourth century, the doctrine was widely supported by the Church Fathers , and by the seventh century it had been affirmed in a number of ecumenical councils. Some early Protestant reformers such as Martin Luther supported the doctrine, and founder figures of Anglicanism such as Hugh Latimer and Thomas Cranmer "followed the tradition that they had inherited by accepting Mary as 'ever virgin'". The doctrine of the perpetual virginity of Mary, which is believed de fide i. The doctrine of perpetual virginity is also distinct from the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, which relates to the conception of the Virgin Mary herself without any stain macula in Latin of original sin. The Greek term Aeiparthenos i. The virginity of Mary at the time of her conception of Jesus is a key topic in Marian art in the Catholic Church , usually represented as the annunciation to Mary by the Archangel Gabriel that she would virginally conceive a child to be born the Son of God.

One such example is Matthew Here's a traditional response:. There is another passage usually brought up as a evidence that Mary was not perpetually a virgin, Matthew 1. And he called his name Jesus.

Talking about Mary can feel dangerous , especially if you are a Protestant who adheres to Protestant orthodoxy. Sure, we sing about Mary at Christmas, feel her pain on Good Friday, and maybe even read a little about her in the gospels. But for most American Protestants, almost any other interaction with Mary is borderline Catholic. Life seems easier that way.