2019/02/01 by James B. Prothro · 2 citations
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Biblical Studies and Interpretation #American Constitutional Law and Politics #Warrant #New Testament #Philosophy #Perspective (graphical) #Value (mathematics) #Reading (process) #Face (sociological concept) #Epistemology #Old Testament #Biblical studies #Theology #Literature #Art
paper · pdf · doi:10.1177/1063851219829935
published in Pro Ecclesia A Journal of Catholic and Evangelical Theology 28(1), 78-97 (SAGE Publishing)
openalex publication_date 2019/02/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
The traditional and still widespread dogma that Mary remained a virgin both before and after Jesus’s birth is today widely believed explicitly to contradict the New Testament, which appears to speak unambiguously of Jesus having “brothers and sisters.” If held strongly, this view can incline some who hold the dogma to doubt Scripture, and can incline others who reject the dogma to think the Church Fathers willfully ignored Scripture. However, the view that Jesus’ siblings are Mary’s children is a face-value reading that rests on several assumptions that should be checked, and traditional positions are not without basis. This article reviews the question of Jesus’ “brothers and sisters” from an exegetical and historical perspective, demonstrating the warrant of the traditional claim, and concludes with reflections from patristic testimony to address theological objections often lodged against the dogma