Mare de Déu

myminifactory

Theotokos is a revered title given to Mary, the mother of Jesus, with particular significance in Eastern Christianity. Latin translations such as Dei Genetrix or Deipara are rendered as "Mother of God" or "God-bearer", signifying her role as the parent of divine origin. In 431, the Council of Ephesus decreed that Mary is Theotokos because Jesus is both human and divine, a single person with two intertwined natures - divine and human - united in a profound and inseparable manner. As an Eastern icon, Theotokos refers to the depiction of the Mother with Child, commonly known as a Madonna in Western tradition, exemplified by "the Theotokos of Vladimir" for both the original 12th-century icon and its imitations. Similarly, the title "Mother of God" (Greek Μήτηρ (του) Θεοῦ; abbreviated ΜΡ ΘΥ, Latin Mater Dei) is used interchangeably with Theotokos, with "Mother of God" being more commonly employed in English due to the absence of a suitable equivalent for Greek τόκος / Latin genetrix. This title has been in use since the 3rd century, as evident in the Syriac tradition (Yoldath Alloho) in the Liturgy of Mari and Addai (3rd century) and the Liturgy of St James (4th century).