The perpetual virginity of Mary is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church,[2] and states that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a virgin ante partum, in partu, et post partum—before, during and after the birth of Christ.[3] In Western Christianity, some Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican and a few other Protestant theologians adhere to the doctrine;[4][5][6][7][8] Eastern Orthodox churches recognize Mary as Aeiparthenos, meaning “ever-virgin”.[Notes 1][9] Modern Protestants have largely rejected the doctrine.[10]