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Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus, Madonna > 
According to the New Testament, Mary was the mother of Jesus of Nazareth; at the time of his conception she was betrothed (or engaged) to Joseph and was a virgin. The child was conceived by the agency of the Holy Spirit, and Mary was a virgin at the time of the birth, as predicted by the angel Gabriel. Her biography is further elaborated in later Christian and Islamic traditions, including the names of her parents: Joachim and Anne. Christian churches teach various doctrines concerning Mary, and she is the subject of much veneration. The area of Christian theology concerning her is known as Mariology. The conception of her son Jesus is believed to have been an act of the Holy Spirit, and to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah that a virgin (or maiden) would bear a son who would be called Immanuel ("God with us"). The Roman Catholic Church and most Eastern Churches venerate her as the Ever-Virgin Mother of God (Theotokos), who was specially favoured by God's grace (Catholics hold that she was conceived without original sin) and, when her earthly life had been completed, as assumed into Heaven. Some Protestants, including certain Anglicans and Lutherans, embrace veneration of Mary and also hold some of these doctrines. Others, especially in the Reformed tradition, question or even condemn the devotional and doctrinal position of Mary in the above traditions. Mary also holds a revered position in Islam.
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