Immaculate Conception

:This article refers to the theology of the immaculate conception of Mary, Mother of Jesus. For the story of the immaculate conception of Jesus Christ, see Virgin Birth (Christian doctrine).

Protestant and Eastern Orthodox opinion

The doctrine is generally not shared by either Eastern Orthodoxy or by Protestantism.

Related Topics:
Eastern Orthodoxy - Protestantism

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Protestants generally reject the doctrine because it does not consider the development of dogmatic theology to be authoritative apart from Biblical exegesis and the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception is not explicit in the Bible. It is accepted by some Anglo-Catholics, but is rejected by most in the Anglican Communion.

Related Topics:
Dogma - Theology - Biblical - Exegesis - Bible - Anglo-Catholics - Anglican Communion

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Orthodox Christians do believe that Mary was without sin for her entire life, but they do not share the Roman Catholic Church's views on original sin. They note that St Augustine (d. 430), whose works were not well known in Eastern Christianity until after the 17th century, has exerted considerable influence over the theology of sin that has generally taken root through the Holy See, and since Eastern Orthodoxy does not share Rome's (or most Protestants') view of original sin, it considers unnecessary the doctrine that Mary would require purification prior to the Incarnation. Instead, Eastern Orthodox theologians suggest that the references among the Greek and Syrian Fathers to Mary's purity and sinlessness may refer not to an a priori state but to her conduct after birth. Although this is not a dogma in the Orthodox Church, there is the universal belief that there was a pre-sanctification of Mary at the time of her conception, similar to the conception of Saint John the Baptist, however there was no cleansing of original sin, since it is believed by the Orthodox Christians that one cannot inherit original sin, or any sin for that matter.

Related Topics:
St Augustine - 430 - 17th century - Holy See - A priori - Dogma - John the Baptist

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