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This entry traces the development of the Christian understanding of virginity with specific attention to theology and embodied, ecclesial practice. Often reductively assumed to be the bodily state of one (usually a woman) who has not had sexual intercourse, this entry examines virginity more broadly as a rich and complex theological tradition in Christianity. Throughout the Christian tradition, virginity is associated with the integrity, or intactness, of the virginal person and of the church as embodied and represented by that virginal person. Whether ordained as a consecrated virgin, avowed as a nun or lay virgin, or pledged to virginity temporarily, Christian virgins are understood as bound to Christ in an intimate relationship. While Western and Eastern Christianity maintain different emphases regarding virginity, in general virgins represent the body of Christ, their physical bodies functioning as icons, intact against the incursion of heresy, and as exemplary witnesses of purity.