The Life of the Virgin Maximus the Confessor

by Shoemaker, Stephen J.

• ISBN13: 9780300175042
• ISBN10: 0300175043
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-05-29
• Publisher: Yale University Press

Summary

Long overlooked by scholars, this seventh-century Life of the Virgin, attributed to Maximus the Confessor, is the earliest complete Marian biography. Originally written in Greek and now surviving only in Old Georgian, it is now translated for the first time into English. It is a work that holds profound significance for understanding the history of late ancient and medieval Christianity, providing a rich source for understanding the history of Christian piety. This Lifeis especially remarkable for its representation of Mary's prominent involvement in her son's ministry and her leadership of the early Christian community. In particular, it reveals highly developed devotion to Mary's compassionate suffering at the Crucifixion, anticipating by several centuries an influential medieval style of devotion known as "affective piety" whose origins generally have been confined to the Western High Middle Ages.

Author Biography

Stephen J. Shoemaker is associate professor of religious studies at the University of Oregon. He lives in Springfield, OR.

Table of Contents

Preface and Acknowledgements	p. ix
Introduction	p. 1
Birth and Childhood	p. 36
The Annunciation	p. 50
The Nativity	p. 61
The Presentation in the Temple	p. 75
The Revelation (or The Epiphany)	p. 92
On the Passion	p. 101
On the Resurrection	p. 119
The Dormition	p. 130
Conclusion	p. 149
Appendix: A Guide to Liturgical Reading of the Life of the Virgin	p. 161
Notes	p. 165
Index of Names and Subjects	p. 205
Index of Biblical Citations and References	p. 211
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