Theotokos

Definition and Meaning

Theotokos is a compound of the Greek words theos (God) and tiktō (to give birth). Literally it means "the one who gave birth to God," and it is commonly rendered "Mother of God." The title is less a statement about Mary's status than a confession of Christology (the doctrine of Christ) concerning who Jesus Christ is. It expresses the conviction that the child to whom Mary gave birth was, from the beginning, a single person who is both truly God and truly human. It does not mean that Mary was the source of God's divinity.

Biblical and Historical Background

The word itself does not appear in Scripture. However, several passages are cited in its support: Luke 1:43, where Elizabeth calls Mary "the mother of my Lord"; Galatians 4:4, which says that God sent forth His Son, "made of a woman"; and John 1:14, which declares that the Word was made flesh.

In the early fifth century, Nestorius, Archbishop of Constantinople, held that the title could be misunderstood to imply that the divine nature originated from Mary. He therefore advocated the term "the one who gave birth to Christ" (Christotokos). Cyril of Alexandria opposed this position, arguing that it divided Christ into two persons. In 431 the Council of Ephesus adopted Cyril's view and formally affirmed the title Theotokos, and Nestorius was deposed (see Nestorianism). The definition of faith of the Council of Chalcedon in 451 likewise confesses that Christ, according to His humanity, was born "of the Virgin Mary, the Theotokos."

Usage in Korean Churches

• The Catholic Church renders the title as Cheonju-ui Seongmo ("Holy Mother of God") or Haneunim-ui Eomeoni ("Mother of God"). It observes January 1 each year as the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God.
• The Orthodox Church frequently addresses Mary as Theotokos in its worship and prayers.
• Most Protestant churches accept the Christology of the Councils of Ephesus and Chalcedon as orthodox doctrine. However, out of concern that the expression "Mother of God" may lead to the veneration of Mary, they rarely use it in practice and generally refer to her as "Mary, the mother of Jesus." The Reformer Martin Luther is known to have accepted the title. Denominations that emphasize the tradition of the ancient church, such as the Lutheran and Anglican churches, tend to explain the theological meaning of the title more readily.
• In Korean Protestant theological education, the term is treated mainly in discussions of the ancient Christological controversies and of the doctrine of the Incarnation.