The Female Line in the Bible. Ratzinger's Deepening of the Church's Understanding of Tradition and Mary

Bibliographic Data

ID4966215
AuthorsMary Frances Mckenna (0000-0002-0793-694X, Independent Scholar, D18 Dublin, Ireland, corresponding author)
Year2020
Volume11
Issue6
Pages310
Publication date2020-06-23
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueReligions (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/rel11060310
OpenAlexW3035944649
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited7

This paper explores the female line in the Bible that Joseph Ratzinger identifies as running in parallel to, and being indispensable for, the male line in the Bible. This female line expands the understanding of Salvation History as described by Dei Verbum so that it runs not just from Adam through to Jesus, but also from Adam and Eve to Mary and Jesus, the final Adam. Ratzinger's female line demonstrates that women are at the heart of God's plan for humanity. I illustrate that this line is evident when Ratzinger's method of biblical interpretation is applied to the women of Scripture. Its full potential comes into view through Ratzinger's development of the Christian notion of person: Person as revealed by Jesus Christ is relatedness without reserve with God and is fully applicable to the human being through Christ. I argue that together, the male and female lines in the Bible form the human line in the Bible, in which the male line represents "the humanity", every human being, while the female line represents the communal aspect of humanity. Moreover, I contend that Christianity's notion of mother in relation to God (as Father, Son and Holy Spirit) should be understood through Mary's response at the Annunciation. Mother in relation to God is to be understood through the Incarnation when Mary, as person, lived her life wholly in relation with and for God

Adam and Eve · Christianity · Humanity · Incarnation · Theology · Biblical Studies and Interpretation · Christian Theology and Mission · Philosophy · Religion, Society, and Development · Religious studies

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