Description
The Mother of Jesus is mentioned only about a dozen times in the New Testament. So why is Mary so important to Catholic faith and devotion?
As we’ll see in this in-depth study, Mary is a key gateway into salvation history. The Bible portrays Mary as the all-holy one who gave the Word flesh, the Mother of God, and the spiritual mother of all who live by faith in her Son.
We begin by learning how to read the Old Testament the way Jesus taught the Apostles to read it – as containing “types” that foreshadow and prepare His coming in the New Testament. Ranging widely through the Old Testament, we’ll explore the essential biblical “types” of Mary. We’ll see how she is depicted as the new Eve, the new Ark of the Covenant, and the new Queen Mother of the Kingdom of God. We’ll see how at critical junctures in salvation history, the figure of Mary is foreshadowed and anticipated.
We also explore the biblical basis for key Catholic doctrines and dogmas regarding Mary – her Immaculate Conception, perpetual virginity and Assumption into heaven.
Objectives
- To understand the biblical basis for Catholic faith and devotion to Mary.
- To understand Mary’s pivotal role in God’s plan of salvation as that plan is presented in the Bible and Church teaching.
- To gain new appreciation for Mary’s importance in the family of God, and be able to express that more faithfully and intelligently in prayer, devotion, and personal witness.
Course Requirements
None. However, students will get much more out of this course if they have first completed Covenant Love: Introducing the Biblical Worldview.
Text
The primary text will be the Bible. Each lesson will recommend certain passages for reading and study. In addition, the instructors recommend the following book, which covers much of the material to be studied in this course: Hail Holy Queen: Mother of God in the Word of God
