Mary-The Virgin
Monday February 27, 2023
Mary, the Virgin.
The idea of Mary the mother of Jesus being a virgin is controversial for numerous reasons. One it contradicts science and two, virginity, at least in some Christian circles is tied to purity culture.
In terms of the first reason, I’ll be honest, I’m not interested in whether or not Mary was literally a virgin when she had Jesus. I am perfectly fine if that’s just a story meant to demonstrate that Jesus is from God. The birth narratives are very similar to ancient Roman stories that often attributed divine origins to emperors. It would surprise me if the gospel writers relied on a similar narrative device to demonstrate Jesus’ divine origins.
Now in regard to purity culture, the conflation of purity and virginity with holiness is problematic. Especially since many adherents to purity culture have no qualms about dehumanizing people, especially women, who have sex before marriage.
In purity culture circles, a woman who had sex before marriage was often described as “used gum” or as a “gift that has already been opened.” And too many Christians treat women’s virginity as defining a single woman’s worth.
However, there is another way to interpret the birth narratives and in particular the story about Mary’s virginity. Christine Valters Painter in Birthing The Holy: Wisdom from Mary to Nurture Creativity and Renewal, discusses how in Jungian psychology, the virgin archetype is NOT about physical purity but about “emotional wholeness and sovereign power.” The virgin archetype focuses on the idea of autonomy and power within oneself.
Elizabeth Johnson, a theologian describes the archetype as, “More than a biological reality, being a virgin indicates a state of mind characterized by fearlessness and independence of purpose...” In this understanding, Mary as Virgin is not a figure of submission to patriarchal norms, but one of empowerment. It is the idea that she is whole within herself and no outside power is needed to complete her. She is enough. She has the divine within.
In a similar way, we are each complete within ourselves. We are enough. The divine embraces us for who we are. Too often, institutions of power, including various forms of Christianity, seek to tell us that something is wrong with us. That we are incomplete. That we need a partner, children, wealth, church endorsement, etc to be whole. But Mary rejects the need for outside validation. And in fact, she presents a challenge to the powers that be. She inspires us and calls us to do the same.
Image: Stars illuminating the sky. Text: Mary as Virgin is not a figure of submission to patriarchal norms, but one of empowerment. It is the idea that she is whole within herself and no outside power is needed to complete her. She is enough. She has the divine within.