Year 9 - Religious education
Mary, mother of Jesus
Matriarchs: are the women of the Bible victors or victims?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit pupils will take a hermenutical reading of scripture to assess the status of women in the Bible. Through a series of key stories they will analyse how women are portrayed and how these stories have been interpreted and re-interpreted over the centuries.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain the importance of Mary, the mother of Jesus, across different denominations, and give different perspectives on her ability to be seen as a role model in feminism.
Key Notes
- Most Christians believe that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a virgin at the time of his birth, as told in two Gospels.
- Across different Christian denominations, Mary is held in high regard for her role in the life of Jesus.
- There are different perspectives on whether Mary is a role model for modern-day feminism.
- Translations of the original language of a text can influence what meaning is taken from it.
Vocabulary To Learn
- almah: a Hebrew word meaning 'young woman' or 'virgin' depending on translations
- feminism: the idea that women should be equal to men
- Immaculate Conception: the belief that Mary was born without the stain of original sin by the grace of God
- theotokos: the mother of God
- Messiah: 'anointed one'; chosen by God to bring a new age of peace
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- That the Immaculate Conception is when Mary conceived Jesus miraculously through the Holy Spirit.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Most Christians believe that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a virgin at the time of his birth, as told in two Gospels. Across different Christian denominations, Mary is held in high regard for her role in the life of Jesus.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'almah'
a Hebrew word meaning 'young woman' or 'virgin' depending on translations.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: That the Immaculate Conception is when Mary conceived Jesus miraculously through the Holy Spirit. Correction: The Immaculate Conception is the Roman Catholic belief that Mary was born without sin. When the Angel Gabriel greets her for the first time she is called 'Mary, full of Grace', which would mean she was without sin even before Jesus is born.
More Lessons In This Unit
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