Annual Kent dur Russell Lecture with Sir Richard Temple
Born of the Virgin Mary, a Study in Esoteric Christianity
Members and invited guests
This lecture by London-based gallerist and icon expert Sir Richard Temple considers Mary’s cosmic status and identifies stages in her journey from human existence to her higher life in Eternity. The tradition of the Virgin Queen of Heaven long predates Christianity and manifests in various goddesses whose feminine qualities become attributes of Mary. The Byzantine epithet Theotokos, “Bearer of God,” implies celestial events on a scale we cannot fathom. All this can be inferred from a reading of the symbolism in icons and reference to apocryphal writings. Orthodox sacred imagery illustrates Mary’s role in sacred tradition, her practice of contemplative prayer and her ascent to the highest levels of realization and enlightenment.
Born of the Virgin Mary, a Study in Esoteric Christianity
Members and invited guests
This lecture by London-based gallerist and icon expert Sir Richard Temple considers Mary’s cosmic status and identifies stages in her journey from human existence to her higher life in Eternity. The tradition of the Virgin Queen of Heaven long predates Christianity and manifests in various goddesses whose feminine qualities become attributes of Mary. The Byzantine epithet Theotokos, “Bearer of God,” implies celestial events on a scale we cannot fathom. All this can be inferred from a reading of the symbolism in icons and reference to apocryphal writings. Orthodox sacred imagery illustrates Mary’s role in sacred tradition, her practice of contemplative prayer and her ascent to the highest levels of realization and enlightenment.