Theology paper relating to a connection between Mary and the fall of Eve

Posted: March 29th, 2022

interpret biblical passages . . . according to their genres, historical contexts, and place in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and Christian Bible;
apply appropriate theological principles when expositing the Old Testament in its relationship to New Testament and whole canon of Scripture;
and articulate differences in historical-critical and traditional (Jewish and Christian) approaches to reading the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament.

To that end your research paper will ask you to apply and develop the above skills and habits by applying them to one of sets of readings in the Roman Catholic Lectionary (the set of biblical readings which form the Liturgy of the Word in a Catholic Mass). In short, your fundamental aim is twofold: (1) to offer a sound interpretation of the plain sense of an OT passage and (2) relate this plain sense to the other readings in the lectionary.

Dec. 8: The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
OT: Gen 3:9-15, 20
Psalm Response: Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4
NT: Eph 1:3-6, 11-12
Gospel: Luke 1:26-38 (Annunciation)

Required resources (links or pdfs)
• Anderson, Gary A. “Mary as Second Eve.” Pages 75–97 in The Genesis of Perfection: Adam and Eve in Jewish and Christian Imagination. Westminster John Knox. Louisville, 2001.
• Nahum Sarna, The JPS Torah Commentary: Genesis. The Jewish Publication Society. Philadelphia, 1989. (page numbers included in the pdf)
• Kugel, James. How to Read the Bible: A Guide to Scripture, Then and Now. New York: Free Press, 2007.
• Yairah Amit, “The Exposition of the Garden of Eden Story.”
• Joel Kaminsky, “Attaining and Forfeiting Adam’s Immortality at Sinai.”
• Catechism of the Catholic Church §§ 963–975 (Mary, Mother of Christ, Mother of the Church).