Beliefs and Tradition
Why does the Church call St. Mary the Mother of God?
The Church calls St. Mary the Mother of God because the One born from her is God the Word incarnate. The title Theotokos, meaning God-bearer or Mother of God, protects the truth that Jesus Christ is one Person, true God and true man.
But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
The Title Is About Christ
The title does not mean St. Mary is the source of Christ's divinity. The eternal Son is begotten of the Father before all ages. In time, He took flesh from St. Mary and was born of her. Because the child born of her is truly God the Word incarnate, the Church calls her Theotokos.
This title became especially important in defending the faith against ways of speaking that divided Christ into a human person beside the divine Word. The Coptic Church preserves the title because it preserves the unity of the incarnate Lord.
Why The Church Uses The Title In Worship
Coptic prayers and hymns honor St. Mary as Theotokos because worship constantly confesses the Incarnation. The faithful do not use the title as an isolated slogan. They use it while proclaiming Christ's birth, Cross, Resurrection, and saving work.
What The Title Teaches
Mother of God teaches that salvation is concrete. God the Word truly entered human life, truly took flesh, and truly became man for us. St. Mary's title protects the Church from reducing Jesus to a prophet, teacher, or inspired man. He is Emmanuel, God with us.
- Holy Theotokos Saint Mary, St. Mary and St. Moses Abbey, SUSCopts. Monastic introduction to St. Mary as Theotokos and the Church's honor for her.
- Titles of the Holy Theotokos Saint Mary, Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles. Diocesan article explaining major titles of St. Mary, including Theotokos.
- Christology, Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Catechetical lecture on the Orthodox confession of Christ as true God and true man.
- The Coptic Orthodox Church, Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Diocesan overview of the Coptic Church, her apostolic roots, and life of faith.
Theotokos: A title for St. Mary meaning God-bearer or Mother of God, confessing that the One born from her is truly God the Word incarnate.
Incarnation: The mystery that the eternal Word of God truly became man for our salvation while remaining fully divine.