This article will examine The Akathist Hymn. Composed circa the 6th century, it consists of 13 stanzas of praise directed primarily toward Mary. It is sung in Eastern Orthodox churches as part of the assigned church services during Lent. It is also among the works listed in the Catholic Church's Enchiridion Indulgentiarum, which grants a plenary indulgence for its recitation.

The Akathist Hymn

Each stanza of the hymn is broken into two sections - a kontakion and an oikos. To simplify, just the stanza number will be used in the following citations. The text used in this article is found here, though some other versions are more expansive.

The first stanza begins:

The Akathist Hymn - Stanza 1

An archangel was sent from Heaven to say to the Theotokos: Rejoice! And beholding Thee, O Lord, taking bodily form, he was amazed and with his bodiless voice he stood crying to Her such things as these:

Rejoice, Thou through whom the curse will cease!
Rejoice, height inaccessible to human thoughts:
Rejoice, depth undiscernible even for the eyes of angels!
Rejoice, Thou through whom creation is renewed:
Rejoice, Thou through whom we worship the Creator!
Rejoice, O Bride Unwedded!

To begin, let's address the "agent" argument, because it inevitably arises in discussions on this topic. The praises given to Mary, such as the "thou through whom creation is renewed", and "thou through whom the curse will cease" above, are excused on the basis that they are actually praises toward Christ, and Mary is only offered them because she is the conduit through which Christ accomplished the incarnation. Does this work?

The answer is, no, it does not. This type of argumentation has a number of problems, which render this practice inappropriate:

• Christ's work cannot truly be credited or attributed to anyone else, even in a token way, especially not on the basis that they were ultimately responsible for His incarnation. If Mary shared in Christ's work because she gave birth to him, then by that same token, Phares shared in Christ's work, because he was responsible for Mary being born (Matthew 1:3, Luke 3:33)
• This is excused under the guise of praising Christ through Mary, when really it is stealing praise that rightly belongs to Christ alone, and directing it to another (Isaiah 42:8, 48:11). We can praise God through Mary for the good things that Mary did, but given that Christ alone accomplished our redemption, praising Mary on account of that detracts from Christ, and robs Him of glory and attention, by defacto giving the credit for his work to someone else
• Many of these praises directed toward Mary don't even meet the criteria for possible candidates for the "agent" defense, which makes the "agent" defense seem less and less tenable in the broader context of the work as a whole, even where it could feasibly be used, if the first two points above were not taken into account

The last point above is exemplified in the first stanza where Mary is called the "height inaccessible to human thoughts", and the "depth undiscernible even for the eyes of angels".

In light of such statements, which are idolatrous exaltations of a human sinner, our reading of the rest of the text is shaped. The layman reading these hymns is given an impression, and that impression thoroughly exalts a woman, not the Lord, even if the worst and most blasphemous bits seek refuge behind that facade.

Moving on to the second stanza:

The Akathist Hymn - Stanza 2

Rejoice, assurance of those who pray in silence!
Rejoice, beginning of Christ's miracles:
Rejoice, crown of His dogmas!
Rejoice, heavenly ladder by which God came down:
Rejoice, bridge that conveyest us from earth to Heaven!
Rejoice, O Bride Unwedded!

Above is the amazing statement praising Mary as the "bridge that conveyest us from earth to Heaven". As discussed already, this will be excused on account of the incarnation ("agent" defense). However, it exhorts people to view Mary as a means of eternal Salvation, and co-savior, who in addition to Christ, is likewise required for our entrance into Heaven.

The third stanza says:

The Akathist Hymn - Stanza 3

Rejoice, table bearing a wealth of forgiveness!
Rejoice, Thou Who makest to bloom the garden of delight:
Rejoice, Thou Who preparest a haven for souls!
Rejoice, acceptable incense of intercession:
Rejoice, propitiation of all the world!
Rejoice, good will of God to mortals:
Rejoice, boldness of mortals before God!
Rejoice, O Bride Unwedded!

Above, we see the incredible statement that Mary is "the propitiation of all the world". The Word of God says:

1 John 2:1-2

1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

This is a one-to-one, direct stealing of Christ's work and saving office, and applying it to Mary.

Further, this stanza calls her a "table bearing a wealth of forgiveness". In what sense does Mary bear forgiveness? It likewise calls her "an acceptable incense of intercession". These statements lend to her being set up as an intermediary between sinners and God - the basis for the "boldness of mortals before God", which is to say, the reason we aren't terrified to approach God, even though that too is rightly ascribed only to our High Priest Jesus Christ in Hebrews 10:19-22.

Moving on to stanza four:

The Akathist Hymn - Stanza 4

Rejoice, opening of the gates of Paradise!
Rejoice, firm support of faith:
Rejoice, radiant token of Grace!
Rejoice, Thou through whom hades was stripped bare:
Rejoice, Thou through whom we are clothed with glory!
Rejoice, O Bride Unwedded!

Here, Mary is the "opening of the gates of Paradise", "through whom hades was stripped bare", and "through whom we are clothed with glory".

Once again, notice the mix. The "through whom" statements ("agent" defense candidates) are interspersed between statements designed to praise Mary herself - "firm support of faith", "radiant token of grace". This furthers a conflation of the role of Christ with that of Mary in the mind of the reader.

The fifth stanza says:

The Akathist Hymn - Stanza 5

Rejoice, Thou Who didst extinguish the furnace of error:
Rejoice, Thou Who didst enlighten the initiates of the Trinity!
Rejoice, Thou Who didst banish from power the inhuman tyrant:
Rejoice, Thou Who didst show us Christ the Lord, the Lover of mankind!
Rejoice, Thou Who redeemest from pagan worship:
Rejoice, Thou Who dost drag us from the works of mire!
Rejoice, Thou Who didst quench the worship of fire:
Rejoice, Thou Who rescuest from the flame of the passions!
Rejoice, guide of the faithful to chastity:
Rejoice, gladness of all generations!
Rejoice, O Bride Unwedded!

Here, we see a litany of praises, all of which could just as well be applied to God - something that signals a major problem, when those praises are theological in nature.

How did Mary "extinguish the furnace of error"? She didn't, Jesus did. How did Mary "banish from power the inhuman tyrant (Satan)"? She didn't, Jesus did. How did Mary "redeem us from pagan worship"? She didn't, Jesus did. And so on.

The sixth stanza says:

The Akathist Hymn - Stanza 6

Rejoice, uplifting of men:
Rejoice, downfall of demons!
Rejoice, Thou who didst trample down the dominion of delusion:
Rejoice, Thou who didst unmask the fraud of idols!
Rejoice, sea that didst drown the Pharaoh of the mind:
Rejoice, rock that doth refresh those thirsting for life!
Rejoice, pillar of fire that guideth those in darkness:
Rejoice, shelter of the world broader than a cloud!
Rejoice, sustenance replacing manna:
Rejoice, minister of holy delight!
Rejoice, land of promise:
Rejoice, Thou from whom floweth milk and honey!
Rejoice, O Bride Unwedded!

Here, we see more explicit usurpation of Christ. Mary is the "rock that doth refresh those thirsting for life", when that rock which gave water was identified as Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4). Mary is the "sustenance replacing manna", when Christ said He was the bread of life, replacing manna (John 6:48-51).

In this Exodus-themed stanza, Mary is also put in place of the physical manifestations of God towards the Israelites during the Exodus. She is called the "pillar of fire", and in the next verse, is paralleled with a "cloud", which were the forms the Lord appeared in during the wandering in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21-22, 14:19-20, 14:24, 33:9, 40:34-38, Numbers 9:15-23, 10:34, 12:5, 14:14, Deuteronomy 1:33, Nehemiah 9:12, 9:19, Psalm 78:14, 99:7, 105:39):

Exodus 13:21

21 And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:

Finally, Mary is called "the land of promise", "from whom floweth milk and honey", that is to say, she is the Promised Land, which was promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exodus 33:1-3). What does it mean for a human being to be designated the Promised Land, and how does it not imply a refuge of Salvation belonging only to the Lord Jesus?

Continuing on, the seventh stanza says:

The Akathist Hymn - Stanza 7

Rejoice, crown of continence!
Rejoice, tree of shining fruit, whereby the faithful are nourished:
Rejoice, tree of goodly shade by which many are sheltered!
Rejoice, supplication before the Righteous Judge:
Rejoice, forgiveness of many sins!
Rejoice, robe of boldness for the naked:
Rejoice, O Bride Unwedded!

The construction of Mary's salvific role is continued above, which declares her to be the "supplication before the Righteous Judge", and the "robe of boldness for the naked". It is as if she is our protector from Jesus, who is the righteous judge (John 5:22).

The eighth stanza reads:

The Akathist Hymn - Stanza 8

Rejoice, Thou through whom transgression hath been absolved:
Rejoice, Thou through whom Paradise is opened!
Rejoice, key to the kingdom of Christ:
Rejoice, hope of eternal good things!
Rejoice, O Bride Unwedded!

Here, Mary is the "key to the kingdom of Christ". This removes room for the "agent" defense, as she is being distinguished from Christ as having the key to His kingdom, even though Biblically, it is Christ Himself who is the key-bearer (Revelation 1:18, 3:7).

Mary having the "key to the kingdom of Christ", in conjunction with her "opening of the gates of Paradise" from the fourth stanza, creates a troubling image in the mind of any believer. And here again, in the seventh stanza, she is "thou through whom Paradise is opened". Mary is therefore portrayed as having agency as to who enters Heaven.

Moving along, the ninth stanza says:

The Akathist Hymn - Stanza 9

Rejoice, Thou Who didst fill the nets of the fishermen!
Rejoice, Thou Who drawest us from the depths of ignorance:
Rejoice, Thou Who enlightenest many with knowledge!
Rejoice, ship for those who wish to be saved:
Rejoice, harbor for sailors on the sea of life!
Rejoice, O Bride Unwedded!

Above, we again see direct conflation with Jesus Christ. Mary is "thou who didst fill the nets of the fishermen", when that was a miracle that the Lord performed (Luke 5:1-9, John 21:1-6), and was symbolic of the abundance found in Him, and our total reliance on Him for all good things.

Then, Mary is again given soteriological symbolism, as she is the "ship for those who wish to be saved", as well as the "harbor for sailors on the sea of life". The Salvation and refuge to be found in Christ is thus attributed to Mary, again.

The tenth stanza says:

The Akathist Hymn - Stanza 10

Rejoice, gate of salvation!
Rejoice, bestower of divine good!
Rejoice, for Thou didst renew those conceived in shame:
Rejoice, for Thou gavest wisdom to those robbed of their minds!
Rejoice, Thou Who didst foil the corrupter of minds:
Rejoice, Thou Who dost wed the faithful to the Lord!
Rejoice, O Bride Unwedded!

Above, Mary is called the "gate of Salvation". She "renewed those conceived in shame", and "weds the faithful to the Lord". How many times can this kind of thing be excused before it just becomes silly? She is being set up unambiguously as a Co-Redeemer, to whom we owe our Salvation.

Moving on, the eleventh stanza reads:

The Akathist Hymn - Stanza 11

Rejoice, Thou Who blottest out the stain of sin!
Rejoice, laver that washest the conscience clean:
Rejoice, cup that drawest up joy!
Rejoice, aroma of the sweet fragrance of Christ:
Rejoice, life of mystical gladness!
Rejoice, O Bride Unwedded!

Here, Mary is "thou who blottest out the stain of sin", the "laver that washest the conscience clean". This, combined with stanza seven's statement that she is the "forgiveness of many sins", leaves the very clear impression that one is to resort to Mary in order to be forgiven of their sins.

The twelfth stanza says:

The Akathist Hymn - Stanza 12

Rejoice, tabernacle of God the Word:
Rejoice, saint greater than the saints!
Rejoice, ark gilded by the Spirit:
Rejoice, inexhaustible treasury of life!
Rejoice, precious diadem of pious kings:
Rejoice, venerable boast of reverent priests!
Rejoice, unshakable fortress of the Church:
Rejoice, inviolable wall of the kingdom!
Rejoice, Thou through whom victories are obtained:
Rejoice, Thou through whom foes fall prostrate!
Rejoice, healing of my flesh:
Rejoice, salvation of my soul!
Rejoice, O Bride Unwedded!

Here, the hymn is reaching a climax, and it culminates in directly calling Mary the "Salvation of my soul". This incredible statement pairs with stanza ten's title of "gate of Salvation", to unapologetically render Mary, at the worst, one's Savior, or at the least, one's Co-Savior - neither of which are acceptable to God (Isaiah 43:11, 45:21, Hosea 13:4).

Finally, the hymn concludes:

The Akathist Hymn - Stanza 13

O all-praised Mother Who didst bear the Word, holiest of all the saints, accept now our offering, and deliver us from all misfortune, and rescue from the torment to come those that cry to Thee: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Here, Mary is implored to "deliver us from all misfortune, and rescue from the torment to come", that is, to save us. This is yet another egregious placing of Mary on equal grounds with the Lord, as one to look to, and rely on, for Salvation.

And, what's startling is the frequency with which this is done in the hymn. Recall stanza two's statement that Mary is the "bridge that conveyest us from earth to Heaven". Recall stanza three's statement that Mary is the "propitiation of all the world". Recall stanza four's statement that Mary is the one "through whom we are clothed with glory". Recall stanza seven's statements that she is our "supplication before the Righteous Judge", and the "robe of boldness for the naked". Recall stanza eight's statement that Mary is the "key to the kingdom of Christ". Recall stanza nine's statement that Mary is the "ship for those who wish to be saved". Recall stanza ten's statement that Mary "weds the faithful to the Lord". What impression does all of this leave? A distinctly blasphemous one, which usurps the Lord Jesus, and replaces Him with a human sinner.

Conclusion

This article could be multiplied with very many other Marian prayers and hymns. It exemplifies the absurd, and frankly blasphemous role to which Mary is exalted in Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, which could never be obtained by any fair reading of the Bible, but rather is a reflection of monastics, who had an obsession with asceticism and virginity, and who lived many hundreds of years after the real sinner named Mary, who gave birth to Christ (before going on to have other children) was long dead and buried, elevating her to such an unbiblical position out of wickedness and misplaced devotion, rooted in their own ascetic will-worship (Colossians 2:20-23).