Mary in the Apocrypha WT-P-FW-MA

The lecture first discusses general introductions to the Marian apocrypha and the principles of reading and studying them. The New Testament Mariological themes will be discussed as the basis for the analysis of apocryphal texts as well as historical-critical and methodological issues related to the approach to studying the apocrypha. References to Mary of Nazareth in apocryphal Christian texts will be compiled, filling gaps in Mary's biography in relation to canonical texts, such as the life of Mary before the birth of Jesus, in exile in Egypt, and after the death and Resurrection of Jesus, emphasizing key aspects of the doctrine. The main texts that expand on and consider Mary's birth and early life and her role as the mother of Jesus will then be discussed. In the following lecture units, the apocrypha will be synthetically discussed, in which there are motifs from the childhood of Mary and Jesus and related to the life of the Holy Family: Ascension of Isaiah, Acts of Peter, Gospel of Thomas, Proto-Gospel of James, Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew, Odes of Solomon, Letter of the Apostles, Questions ( Gospel) of Bartholomew, the Acts of Pilate, Genna Marias, the Gospel of Thomas' childhood and the apocrypha of the Transitus stream, i.e. the passage of Mary from this world to the glory of heaven