Images of Mary - A Lecture by The Very Reverend Dr Jeffrey John

Europa Prima Pars Terrae informa Virginis' by Heinrich Bunting

While in Prague in August we visited the beautiful Strahov Monastery and its extensive library. One of the exhibits on display was a print of 'Europa Prima Pars Terrae informa Virginis' by Heinrich Bunting - a map of Europe in the form of a Virgin (Mary) showing Bohemia at its heart and Spain (home to the Hapsburg Dynasty who were, at the time the map was created, Holy Roman Emperors of Europe) as the head. It looks as though Britain and Ireland are floating off behind the head of the Virgin, but in most versions they are shown as a flag or banner, which she is waving.

The European Council Flag by Arsène Heitz - Inspired by the Crown of the Virgin in Revelation 12

The crown on her head has twelve stars, a reference to to Chapter 12 of the Book of Revelation "And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars." -  passage which continues to be used in art and design to symbolise Mary as the Church, Civilisation and Humanity. The creator of the flag of the European Union, Arsène Heitz, is said to have been inspired by this text although others have challenged this view.

The images of Mary - and our interpretation of them - was the theme of a talk at Southwark Cathedral by The Very Reverend Dr Jeffrey John, the Dean of St Albans, in September.

The Virgin Spanking The Christ Child - Max Ernst (1926)

He used four images of Mary to paint four different portraits of her character - much as Richard Burridge has done with his books on the four Gospels. He began by using Max Ernst's famous painting of the Virgin spanking her child to debunk the "motherhood and apple pie" image held of Mary in some quarters. Drawing on references from scripture, we were reminded of the realism of the relationship between Jesus and his mother - and the harsh words; particularly at the Wedding at Cana. But at the foot of the cross, Mary is reestablished as the mother of all disciples; of the church. She is redeemed.

Mary the Revolutionary

The second portrait was of Mary the Revolutionary. Dr John began by reading Mary Coleridge's poem "Our Lady" reminding us that the Magnificat was banned by the East India Company in case it prompted the indigenous people to revolt - and how central the text became to Liberation theology which developed in South America in the 1950's and 1960's. It is still an important song of protest today - in 2012 the group Pussy Riot called on the Virgin Mary to intercede and drive Putin away. Jeffrey John explained that this revolutionary portrait is far removed from the image of Mary as a passive blue clad yes girl and completely lost every time a choir sings Stanford in Bb at Evensong! Mary represents the economic poor and socially rejected - the Magnificat challenges us to consider who are the winners and losers in our world and as which side are we on?

The third portrait we were asked to consider was Mary as fulfilment of Old Testament prophecies and expectations. Jeffrey John began by reading The Ballad of Illegal Ornaments by Hilaire Belloc which was written in 1929 in support of Reverend Robert Vacy Lyle, of Stirchley, who had been ordered by the Bishop of Birmingham Ernest Barnes to remove a statue of the Virgin Mary from his church. Dr John drew attention to the legacy of centuries of teaching by some in the church that Marian devotion was wrong and unscriptural - a position which, he said, could not be further from the truth. He described the Magnificat as a "theological aria" based on Old Testament prophecies. For instance, the power of the Most High which 'overshadows' Mary (Luke 1.35) relates to the cloud overshadowing the tabernacle in the Old Testament - Luke portrays Mary as the arc of the new covenant. But it is the words of Mary herself which form the most important scriptural basis for devotion "all generations shall call me blessed."

Immaculate Conception by Francisco de Zubaran (c1630)

Our final portrait was of Mary in Glory, based on Chapter 12 of The Book of Revelation - a multi-layered image of Mary as fulfilment of Old Testament prophecies, as the new tabernacle, the new Eve who finally defeats the serpent. The twelve stars on her crown symbolise Mary as the new Israel. But there are also pagan references; being clothed with the sun and having the moon at her feet is a reference to the Goddess Roma; Mary is a new authority to rival Rome; the dragon waiting to devour her son a reference to the birth of Apollo. The image in Revelation does not suggest that Mary was divine or a pagan Goddess - but an image of redeemed humanity taken up into glory.

In conclusion, the Hail Mary, Dr John suggested, is one of the most scripturally-based prayers we have.

Hail Mary,

Full of Grace,

The Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women,

and blessed is the fruit

of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary,

Mother of God,

pray for us sinners now,

and at the hour of our death.