Document Type
Report
Publication Date
9-2026
Abstract
In the Marian Library Gallery exhibit Fiat and Faith: Symbolism of the Annunciation, the first image that greets you is an extensive, multicolored wall mural that depicts various symbols in Annunciation artwork, from an apple to a spindle to violets and lilies and the dove that often soars above the scene. One symbol in particular, the “beam of light” that symbolizes the Holy Spirit or the light of Christ, might catch your eye (as it did mine) with its extended comment: in the medieval period, Mary was believed to have conceived of Jesus per aurem, or “through the ear.”
While many may see this conceptio per aurem idea as a bizarre product of medieval sensibilities, it would be central to my research at the Marian Library, where I investigated Mary’s title of “handmaid of the Lord.”
eCommons Citation
Keller, Alaina, "2026 Graduate Scholar Reflection: Alaina Keller" (2026). Marian Fellowships and Other Sponsored Research in the Marian Library. 12.
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/ml_fellowships/12
COinS
