The Gospel of James, though non-canonical, profoundly shaped Catholic views on Mary. From her miraculous conception and temple upbringing to the ideal of perpetual virginity, this apocryphal text influenced doctrine and women’s roles for centuries – often with restrictive consequences

The Protevangelium Iacobi or the Gospel of James is an anonymous text, which was rejected as non-canonical when the canon of Scriptures was drawn up. Nonetheless it has been hugely influential in the development of Mariology.

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