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When did Mary start being called the ‘Mother of God’?

Michie

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(OSV News) — Jan. 1 is the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, the final day of the Christmas octave.

In the fifth century, a heresy led by Nestorius, patriarch of Constantinople (r. 428-431) claimed that Jesus was actually two persons: one human and one divine — that his divinity was instilled on him after he was born. Thus, they reasoned incorrectly that Mary was the mother of Jesus but not the mother of God. Their rationale contradicted ancient Christian beliefs as well as proclamations and canons issued at earlier Church councils.

At the Ecumenical Council of Nicea in 325, the Church Fathers had clearly determined that Jesus was consubstantial with the Father and, therefore, Mary was the Mother of God.

Mary as ‘Theotokos’​


Continued below.
 
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Jipsah

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And we see a great many Protestants who believe that very thing, as we may well be told in this thread.

Their rationale contradicted ancient Christian beliefs as well as proclamations and canons issued at earlier Church councils.
Old heresies never really go away. They just keep popping up and accepted as "new" by those who don't know any better.
At the Ecumenical Council of Nicea in 325, the Church Fathers had clearly determined that Jesus was consubstantial with the Father and, therefore, Mary was the Mother of God.
"Arghhh! God doesn't have a mother!!!!", right? How many itmes have I been told that by well-meaning Protestant friends.

I try the simple syllogism:
Jesus is God.
The BVM is Jesus's mother.
Ergo the BVM is the Mother of God

The answer is always "Yes, yes, NOOOOOOOOOOO!".

-sigh-
 
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RileyG

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I think a lot of them think of God as God the Father so the term "Mother of God" is confusing.
 
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fide

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I think the protestant belief breaks down and threatens if not fractures their belief in the Trinity.
A dialogue might be:
Prot: Mary is mother of 'God the Son, Jesus,' not mother of 'God the Father' nor mother of 'God the Holy Spirit.'​
Cath: At what point of time or of eternity did 'God the One Holy Trinity' break into three separated parts?​
Prot: Wait - are you going to accuse me of believing in three separate Gods?​
Cath: Are you affirming, with us, that God is eternally One God, not three separate Gods?​
Prot: Hmmmmm. I don't think I want to deny the oneness of God!​
Cath: No, you don't. God is ONE. Jesus said so. God the Holy Trinity can never be separated into three "gods". God is ONE. If we could put God into the "box" of human reasoning and logic, we would have a work of our human hands - an idol. His ways and thoughts are not inconsistent with good reasoning, but they are different and on a 'higher plane' we might say: beyond the 3- (or even 4-) dimensional reality of human thinking. We must bow to, and seek union with, the mind of Christ and not the mind of mere natural man. Jesus is both natural and supernatural; He is both man and God. God is ONE. Jesus is God Incarnate.​
In truth, the Catholic Catechism is correct and ought to be listened to and heard in the world of protestantism:
(emphasis added to stress the point here)
 
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