By Adimike George
Various religions in the world, especially the ancient mystery ones, relished the reality of the divine feminine, many of which ranked high in pantheons of nations. The prevalence of these female gods (goddesses) or feminine elements in deities is not geographically circumscribed.
These notable goddesses across fountains (Ishtar, Hecate, Sekhmet, Kali, Ogwugwu, Ala, Isis, Demeter, Artemis Diana, Gaia, Aphrodite, Venus, Maia, etc.) exerted influence on the religions psyche of peoples and cultures. Some goddesses, like Isis and Demeter, were presented carrying a baby.
This idea of the divine feminine feeds some Christians’ misconceptions about the cult of Mary, considering it a transposition, trans-personification and inculturation of these ancient goddesses. This confused and hostile rhetoric notwithstanding, Mary, by special divine grace, is the mother of God and never the Virginal goddess nor the divine feminine.
Irrespective of his oneness with God (cf. Jn 10:30), Jesus assumed human flesh in radical solidarity with fallen humanity and shared our nature (cf. Phil. 2:5-11; Gal. 4:4-5). Though always God, Jesus became fully man and by divine grace became our brother (cf. Heb. 2:11; Rom. 8:29; Mk 3:34). Therefore, we are siblings of God the Son by grace. Similarly, Mary is the mother of God by grace. She is Theotokos, God-bearer, according to the Councils of Ephesus AD 431 and Chalcedon AD 451.
Christianity transitioned from the world of pantheons populated by male and female gods to monotheism. The conception of deity from uni-personal to the tri-personal reality of Father, Son and Holy Spirit did not eliminate the mentality that assigns feminine subjectivity to deities. Notably, the Christian understanding of the mystery of Mary has no connection with this human misinformed groping for God through goddesses. Mary is entirely a creation of grace.
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