Dist. 4, Art. 3, Q. 3
by St. Bonaventure
Source text: Public Domain Mark 1.0. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://bonaventure.wrootpress.com/browse/3/d/4/q/bon-sent-III-d4-a3-q3
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### Question III. *Whether the blessed Virgin is to be called the Mother of God.*

Thirdly it is asked whether the Virgin Mary is to be called the Mother of God [genitrix Dei]. And that she is, it is shown:

*(The grounds.)*
1. Damascene, in the third book, chapter twelve: "We chiefly and truly proclaim the holy Virgin Mary *Theotokos,* that is, Mother of God."

2. Likewise: "Justly and truly we name her *theotokos,* that is, Mother of God; for this name constitutes the whole mystery of the incarnation."

3. Likewise, this same thing is evident by reason, because whatever is said of that man is said of the Son of God on account of the communication of idioms; but Jesus was the son of the blessed Mary: therefore God was the son of the blessed Mary: therefore *by relative terms* the blessed Mary is the mother of God.

4. Likewise, the Son of God stands to the Virgin Mother as the Son of man stands to God the Father; but Jesus is the Son of God the Father: therefore God is the Son of Mary: therefore the Virgin Mary is rightly to be called the Mother of God.

**On the contrary:**
*(To the contrary view.)*
1. Damascene, in the third book, chapter twelve: "We do not call the Virgin *Christotokos,* that is, Mother of Christ": therefore if Christ is God, it seems that we ought not to call her the Mother of God.

2. Likewise, according to this the Virgin Mary is a mother insofar as she is consubstantial with the offspring; but she is not consubstantial with the offspring according to the divine nature, but according to the human; therefore, since God names Christ according to the divine nature, it does not seem that she is to be called the Mother of God.

3. Likewise, on account of the assumption of human nature by the Son, God the Father is not said to be the begetter of men: therefore neither conversely is the Virgin to be called the Mother of God.

4. Likewise, in connection with this it is asked why Damascene prefers that she be called Mother of God rather than Mother of Christ. For if in "Christ" the divinity and the humanity are understood — indeed the whole Trinity is understood, according to Ambrose, in the name of Christ — it does not seem that any diminution of truth or of virginal dignity comes about.

### Conclusion.

> The glorious Virgin is to be called not so much *Christotokos* as Mother and Begetter of God [genitrix Dei], justly and truly and devoutly, so that the error of Nestorius may be extinguished.

*(A notable principle.)*
**I respond:** It must be said that words expressing the Christian faith ought to be far removed from error and approaching to devotion — most of all those in which there is speech concerning the Virgin Mary. For she destroyed all heresies in the whole world, by conceiving and bringing forth the Truth from her very self; she also merited reconciliation for the whole human race: and therefore the whole devotion of Christians ought to burn toward her. — And therefore, because the blessed Virgin conceived him who is to be called not only Christ on account of the union, but

*(Conclusion.)* also true God on account of the eternal generation, she ought to be called the Mother of God, that he may be honored from this very word, and that the error of impiety may be extinguished — *(Proved from Damascene.)* the error which said that Mary conceived a mere man. — For the fostering of which error Nestorius, as Damascene, the true doctor, narrates, wished to call her *Mother of Christ,* not *Mother of God,* as though she had begotten a mere man. And therefore Damascene, the true doctor and lover of the Virgin, teaches us to shun this word, not because it is false, but because the heretic wished to conceal poison under it. Hence Damascene, in the third book, chapter twelve: "We do not call the Virgin *Christotokos,* that is, Mother of Christ; since for the destruction of *Theotokos,* that is, of the Mother of God, the wicked and defiled Nestorius, together with his father the devil, invented the term." — The reasons, therefore, are to be granted which show that the blessed Virgin is to be called the Mother of God, justly and truly and devoutly.

**To the arguments for the affirmative side:**
*(Solution of the opposing arguments.)*
*To 1.* To that, then, which is objected from Damascene, the response is already evident: for he does not deny that she is the Mother of Christ on the ground that it is false, but because the heretic was hiding poison under that word.

*To 2.* To that which is objected, that she is not consubstantial with him; it must be said that she is called the Mother of God not because she begot him according to the divine nature, but on account of the communication of idioms and the expression of the mystery of the incarnation and the honoring of the Virgin herself. Hence that argument is invalid: "she is not the mother of God according to the divine nature: therefore she is not the mother of God"; rather, there is here a *fallacy of the consequent*, as if one were to argue thus: "this is not predicated of that thing per se: therefore it is not predicated of it in any manner of predication."

*To 3.* To that which is objected, that God is not called the begetter of man; it must be said that he can be so called; nevertheless we are not accustomed so to use that word, because that appellation does not so serve for the expression of pious faith as does that by which we call the Virgin the mother of God.

*To 4.* To that which is objected, why she is not called *Christotokos;* it must be said that the name of Christ is more communicated to creatures than the name of God. Hence David too is called the anointed of the Lord, and the other kings of Israel; and therefore that word was nearer to the error. But now, because that error has been rooted out, we commonly call her both mother of Christ and mother of God, when we implore her to turn the eyes of her mercy toward us.