The Second Sex in the Gospel of Pseudo-MatthewI noted the publication of this book here and here. Cross-file under New Testament Apocrypha Watch.
Mary draws on a biblical tradition of male virgin asceticism that she appropriates for her own womanhood. Her purity, in other words, is based on everyday rituals and the performance of chastity as a defining identity trait throughout the narrative. As she reveals in her own speech, Mary relies on models of previous virgins even as she enacts a new model for others to follow.
See Also: The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew and the Nativity of Mary, Early Christian Apocrypha 7 (Cascade Books, 2019).
By Brandon W. Hawk
Assistant Professor of English
Rhode Island College
March 2020
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