The Orthodox Veneration of Mary the Birthgiver of God

This short work by St John Maximovitch, a twentieth-century Orthodox bishop, sets out why the Orthodox Church honours the Virgin Mary as the Birthgiver of God, the Theotokos. It answers objections often raised against this veneration by other Christians and grounds the practice in Scripture, in the teaching of the early Church fathers and in the worship of the Church. The author considers Mary's place in the story of salvation, her role in the Incarnation, and why her honour and intercession follow from the belief that Christ is truly God and truly man. Written as an accessible guide for lay readers as well as students of theology, the book offers a concise statement of a doctrine central to Eastern Orthodox devotional life.