An immense privilege

One of the structures we will visit at Ephesus is The Library of Celsus, built in 177 C.E. with an impressive literary holding then of 12,000 scrolls. It was in this city also that the council known as the Council of Ephesus met in the 5th century C.E. to refute the teachings of Nestorius and declare that Mary was not only the Christotokos, mother of Jesus, but also the Theotokos, the bearer of God. My students took a class with me this past semester and pondered with me on the controversial councils that established the doctrinal beliefs and creeds of orthodox Christianity. What an immense privilege for me as a professor to share this travel experience with my students where ancient ruins will become our classroom. Of course as a feminist critical thinker, the belief that a woman gave birth to the omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent God is a powerful image and concept to explore and to pit against the patriarchal context where it was first conceived. I have so much fun thinking critically...