<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The present research addresses matters concerning the relationship between Church and state during the reign of Theodosius II of Rome, analyzing especially the case of legitimization of the imperial authority found in the first half of the fifth century when the Empress Pulcheria tried to identify herself with the Virgin Mary before her subjects in order to further maintain control of the state alongside her brother, Theodosius II. This paper also attempts to connect the problem of the political experiment with the development of a Marian devotion in Constantinople as a solution for pagan cults’ inculturation, reassessing Nestorius’ reaction in parallel with the position of Epiphanius of Salamina.</p></abstract>

The present research addresses matters concerning the relationship between Church and state during the reign of Theodosius II of Rome, analyzing especially the case of legitimization of the imperial authority found in the first half of the fifth century when the Empress Pulcheria tried to identify herself with the Virgin Mary before her subjects in order to further maintain control of the state alongside her brother, Theodosius II. This paper also attempts to connect the problem of the political experiment with the development of a Marian devotion in Constantinople as a solution for pagan cults’ inculturation, reassessing Nestorius’ reaction in parallel with the position of Epiphanius of Salamina.

Marian Devotion as a Form of Legitimization of the Imperial Authority

Research Centre for Theology, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Romania. Contact details: Mitropoliei 35 – Sibiu 550179, Romania

Review of Ecumenical Studies Sibiu

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

{"article-title":"Marian Devotion as a Form of Legitimization of the Imperial Authority"}

The present research addresses matters concerning the relationship between Church and state during the reign of Theodosius II of Rome, analyzing especially the...

Marian Devotion as a Form of Legitimization of the Imperial Authority

Published Online: Jan 27, 2015

Page range: 102 - 120

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ress-2014-0106

Keywords
Virgin Mary, Pulcheria, Theodosian dynasty, imperial ideology, civic religion, inculturation

© 2015

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Marian Devotion as a Form of Legitimization of the Imperial Authority

Published Online: Jan 27, 2015

Page range: 102 - 120

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ress-2014-0106

KeywordsVirgin Mary, Pulcheria, Theodosian dynasty, imperial ideology, civic religion, inculturation

© 2015

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Virgin Mary, Pulcheria, Theodosian dynasty, imperial ideology, civic religion, inculturation