003 - Chapters 13-17

In this thought-provoking essay, St. Jerome engages in a robust defense against Helvidius, who argued that the mention of Christs “sisters” and “brethren” in the gospels implies that the Virgin Mary had other children with her husband, Joseph. Jerome counters with three compelling propositions 1) Joseph was only a putative husband to Mary, not a biological one. 2) The “brethren” of the Lord were actually his cousins, rather than siblings. 3) He advocates for the superiority of virginity over marriage. - Summary from the preface