03-26-2024, 06:44 PM
I really appreciate the breakdown of this topic.
Since Mary was a popular name, it stands to reason that some confusion might arise. Add to that the general disinclination to value the female presence in the story, especially in the Middle Ages, and we can be somewhat forgiving in that regard to the evolution of traditionalist dogma. Sadly, the cloistered nature of the church made it predictable that women would be characterized in a way most now consider socially unacceptable. I suppose that's the way traditions must evolve.
Since Mary was a popular name, it stands to reason that some confusion might arise. Add to that the general disinclination to value the female presence in the story, especially in the Middle Ages, and we can be somewhat forgiving in that regard to the evolution of traditionalist dogma. Sadly, the cloistered nature of the church made it predictable that women would be characterized in a way most now consider socially unacceptable. I suppose that's the way traditions must evolve.
