Christianity and Women
Canon Liddon. Luke 1:46-55 And Mary said, My soul does magnify the Lord,… The position of yemen in Christian society is directly traceable not only or chiefly to our Lord's teaching, but to the circumstances of His birth. Before He came woman, even in Israel, was little better than the slave of man. In the heathen world, as in Eastern countries now, she was a slave to all intents and purposes. Here and there a woman of great force of character joined to hereditary advantages might emerge from this chronic oppression — might become a Deborah or a Semiramis, or a Boadicea, or a Cleopatra, or a Zenobia — might control the world by controlling its rulers. But the lot of the great majority was a suffering and a degraded one. But when Christ took upon Him to deliver man, He did not abhor the virgin's womb. In the greatest event in the whole course of human history, the stronger sex had no part whatever. The Incarnate Son was conceived by the Holy Ghost and was born of the Virgin Mary, and therefore in, and with Mary, woman rose to a position of consideration unknown before, in which nothing is forfeited that belongs to the true modesty and grace of her nature — by which a larger share of influence in shaping the destinies of the Christian races was secured to her in perpetuity. It was the Incarnation which created chivalry and those better features which sweeten our modern life, and which are due to chivalry. (Canon Liddon.) Parallel Verses KJV: And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, WEB: Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord.