In defense of the deification of the Virgin Mary

It is not infrequent that claims are made that the Virgin Mary is not deified, was not deified at conception, and has never been deified. This kind of claim seems to originate from the deep-seated fear that the Virgin is being worshipped with the kind of worship reserved for God alone, instead of being honored as the Mother of God; the Theotokos. Such fear, however, is unfounded and what seems to be happening is the perpetuation of a basic misunderstanding of ...