This lecture is part of a course from The Great Courses called The Apocryphal Jesus taught by Professor David Brakke. This course and over 300 other courses can be accessed with a subscription to Wondrium.
Mary has been a controversial figure throughout Christian history, with some viewing her as a semi-divine figure of veneration, and others decrying the idea of placing her on such a high pedestal, despite being the mother of Jesus. In this free Great Courses lecture, Professor David Brakke dives into the Gospel’s account of Mary before exploring how different apocryphal stories expand upon her biography, including emphasis on her virginal purity, her special access to Jesus, and differing accounts of her death. As Brakke moves through these stories, he teases out how the figure of Mary may reveal tensions in the early Church that were gradually smoothed over as mainstream Christian doctrine took shape.