Mariology

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Not to be confused with
Mariolatry
.

Western churches.[1][2]

Mariology is the theological study of Mary, the mother of Jesus.[3] Mariology seeks to relate doctrine or dogma about Mary to other doctrines of the faith, such as those concerning Jesus and notions about redemption, intercession and grace. Christian Mariology aims to place the role of the historic Mary in the context of scripture, tradition and the teachings of the Church on Mary.[4][5][6] In terms of social history, Mariology may be broadly defined as the study of devotion to and thinking about Mary throughout the history of Christianity.[7]

There exist a variety of Christian (and non-Christian) views on Mary as a figure ranging from the focus on the

Eastern Orthodox concepts and veneration of Mary are integral to the rite as a whole, (the theotokos) and are mostly expressed in liturgy. The veneration of Mary is said to permeate, in a way, the entire life of the Church as a "dimension" of dogma as well as piety, of Christology as well as of Ecclesiology. While similar to the Roman Catholic view, barring some minor differences, the Orthodox do not see a need for a separate academic discipline of Mariology, as the Mother of God is seen as the self-evident apogee of God's human creation.[10]

A significant number of Marian publications were written in the 20th century, with theologians Raimondo Spiazzi and Gabriel Roschini producing 2500 and 900 publications respectively. The Pontifical Academy of Mary and the Pontifical Theological Faculty Marianum in Rome are key Mariological centers.

Diversity of Marian views

A statue of Mary in the Lutheran church of Saint-Pierre-le-Jeune, Strasbourg
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A wide range of views on Mary exist at multiple levels of differentiation within distinct Christian belief systems. In many cases, the views held at any point in history have continued to be challenged and transformed. Over the centuries,

Marian apparitions to the writings of the saints to reflection by theologians and papal encyclicals
.

Eastern Orthodox theology calls Mary the Theotokos, which means God-bearer. The virginal motherhood of Mary stands at the center of Orthodox Mariology, in which the title Ever Virgin is often used. The Orthodox Mariological approach emphasizes the sublime holiness of Mary, her share in redemption and her role as a mediator of grace.[11][12]

Eastern Orthodox Marilogical thought dates as far back as Saint

John Damascene who in the 8th century wrote on the mediative role of Mary and on the Dormition of the Mother of God.[13][14] In the 14th century, Orthodox Mariology began to flourish among Byzantine theologians who held a cosmic view of Mariology, placing Jesus and Mary together at the center of the cosmos and saw them as the goal of world history.[11] More recently Eastern Orthodox Mariology achieved a renewal among 20th century theologians in Russia, for whom Mary is the heart of the Church and the center of creation.[11] However, unlike the Catholic approach, Eastern Orthodox Mariology does not support the Immaculate Conception of Mary.[11] Prior to the 20th century, Eastern Orthodox Mariology was almost entirely liturgical, and had no systematic presentation similar to Roman Catholic Mariology. However, 20th century theologians such as Sergei Bulgakov began the development of a detailed systematic Orthodox Mariology.[15][16][17] Bulgakov's Mariological formulation emphasizes the close link between Mary and the Holy Spirit in the mystery of the Incarnation.[12]

Lutheran Churches, affirm the doctrine of the perpetual virginity of Mary.[22]

The Oriental Orthodox Churches regard Mary as the highest of saints and the Theotokos.[23] It celebrates various Marian feast days.[23]

A better mutual understanding among different Christian groups regarding their Mariology has been sought in a number of ecumenical meetings which produced common documents.

Outside Christianity, the

nineteenth chapter of the Qur'an
, which is named after her, begins with two narrations of "miraculous birth".

Development

Statue of Santa Maria Assunta, in Attard, Malta

The

Nestorians
preferred Christotokos meaning "Christ-bearer" or "Mother of the Messiah" not because they denied Jesus' divinity, but because they believed that since God the Son or Logos existed before time and before Mary, Jesus therefore took divinity from God the Father and humanity from his mother, so calling her "Mother of God" was confusing and potentially heretical. Others at the council believed that denying the Theotokos title would carry with it the implication that Jesus was not divine.

The council of Ephesus also approved the creation of icons bearing the images of the Virgin and Child. Devotion to Mary was, however, already widespread before this point, reflected in the fresco depictions of

Mother and Child in the Roman catacombs. The early Church Fathers saw Mary as the "new Eve" who said "yes" to God as Eve had said "no".[26] Mary, as the first Christian Saint
and Mother of Jesus, was deemed to be a compassionate mediator between suffering mankind and her son, Jesus, who was seen as King and Judge.

In the East, devotion to Mary blossomed in the sixth century under official patronage and imperial promotion at the

S. Maria Maggiore in Rome.[28] A sign that the process was slower in Rome is provided by the incident during the visit of Pope Agapetus to Constantinople in 536, when he was upbraided for opposing the veneration of the theotokos and refusing to allow her icons to be displayed in Roman churches.[29][failed verification] Early seventh-century examples of new Marian dedications in Rome are the dedication in 609 of the pagan Pantheon as Santa Maria ad Martyres, "Holy Mary and the Martyrs",[30] and the re-dedication of the early Christian titulus Julii et Calixtii, one of the oldest Roman churches, as Santa Maria in Trastevere.[31] The earliest Marian feasts were introduced into the Roman liturgical calendar by Pope Sergius I (687–701).[32]

During the Middle Ages, devotion to the Virgin Mary as the "new Eve" lent much to the status of women. Women who had been looked down upon as daughters of Eve, came to be looked upon as objects of veneration and inspiration. The medieval development of chivalry, with the concept of the honor of a lady and the ensuing knightly devotion to it, not only derived from the thinking about the Virgin Mary, but also contributed to it.[33] The medieval veneration of the Virgin Mary was contrasted by the fact that ordinary women, especially those outside aristocratic circles, were looked down upon. Although women were at times viewed as the source of evil, it was Mary who as mediator to God was a source of refuge for man. The development of medieval Mariology and the changing attitudes towards women paralleled each other and can best be understood in a common context.[34]

Since the

Mariolatry, and of inventing non-scriptural doctrines which give Mary a semi-divine status. They also attack titles such as Queen of Heaven
, Our Mother in Heaven, Queen of the World, or Mediatrix.

Since the writing of the apocryphal Protevangelium of James, various beliefs have circulated concerning Mary's own conception, which eventually led to the Roman Catholic Church dogma, formally established in the 19th century, of Mary's Immaculate Conception, which exempts her from original sin.

Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox teaching also extends to the end of Mary's life ending with the Assumption of Mary, formally established as dogma in 1950, and the Dormition of the Mother of God respectively.

As a theological discipline

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Immaculate Conception by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (c. 1675)
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Key Marian feast days
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Within

Eastern Orthodox Church, a number of traditions revolve around the Ever – Virgin Mary and the Theotokos, which are theologically paramount concepts.[8]

As an active theological discipline, Mariology has received a larger amount of formal attention in

Liberation Theology, which emphasizes popular Marian piety, and more recently from feminist theology, which stresses both the equality of women and gender differences.[citation needed
]

While systematic Marian theology is not new,

John Paul II with the additional creation of the Pontifica Academia Mariana Internationale and the Centro di Cultura Mariana, a pastoral center to promulgate Marian teachings of the Church, and the Societa Mariologica Italiana, an Italian mariological society with an interdisciplinary orientation.[citation needed
]

Theology

There are two distinct approaches as to how Mariology might interact with conventional theological treatises: one is for Marian perspectives and aspects to be inserted into the conventional treatises, the other is to offer an independent presentation.[36] The first approach was followed by the Church Fathers and in the Middle Ages, although some issues were treated separately. This method has the advantage that it avoids isolating Mariology from the rest of theology. The disadvantage of this method is that it cannot assess Mary to the full extent of her role and her person, and the inherent connections between various Mariological assertions can not be highlighted.[36] The second method has the disadvantage that it may impose the limitations of isolation and at times overstep its theological boundaries. However, these problems can be avoided in the second approach if specific reference is made in each case to connect it to the processes of salvation, redemption, etc.[36]

Methodology

As a field of study, Mariology uses the sources, methods and criteria of theology, beginning with the Marian reference in the

Vatican II statement that these reports are not allegories with symbolic value but historical revelations, a point further emphasized by Pope Benedict XVI.[38]

Organization

The treatment of Mariology differs among theologians. Some prefer to present its historical development, while others focus on its content (dogmas, grace, role in redemption, etc.). Some theologians prefer to view Mariology only in terms of Mary's attributes (honour, titles, privileges), while others attempt to integrate Mary into the overall theology of the salvation mystery of Jesus Christ.[39]

Some prominent 20th century theologians, such as

Benedict XVI.[41]

Relation to other theological disciplines

Christology

While

Roman Catholic Mariology, see it as an essential basis for the study of Mary. Generally, Protestant denominations do not agree with this approach.[citation needed
]

The concept that by being the "Mother of God", Mary has a unique role in salvation and redemption was contemplated and written about in the early Church.[42] In recent centuries, Roman Catholic Mariology has come to be viewed as a logical and necessary consequence of Christology: Mary contributes to a fuller understanding of who Christ is and what he did. In these views, Mariology can be derived from the Christocentric mysteries of Incarnation: Jesus and Mary are son and mother, redeemer and redeemed.[43][44][45]

Church history

Within the field of Church history, Mariology is concerned with the development of Marian teachings and the various forms of Marian culture. An important part of Church history is patristics or

patrology, the teaching of the early Fathers of the Church. They give indications of the faith of the early Church and are analyzed in terms of their statements on Mary.[citation needed
]

In the Roman Catholic context, patrology and dogmatic history have provided a basis for popes to justify Marian doctrine, veneration, and dogmas such as the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption. Thus, in Fulgens corona and Munificentissimus Deus, Pope Pius XII explained the two dogmas in terms of existing biblical references to Mary, the patristic tradition, and the strong historical faith of believers (sensus fidelium) using a deductive theological method.[46]

Moral theology

Some scholars do not see a direct relation of Mariology to

Pius X, however, described Mary as the model of virtue, and a life free of sin, living a life which exemplifies many of the moral teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. As a result, Mary is often cited in this guise in pastoral theology and in sermons.[citation needed
]

See also

Notes

  1. ISBN 0872432106
    p. 203.
  2. ISBN 8837027559
    p. 54.
  3. ISBN 978-0199935420
    .
  4. ISBN 9004126546
    pp. 403–404.
  5. ISBN 0860120066
    p. 901.
  6. ^
    ISBN 0415924723
    p. 1174.
  7. ISBN 0815303424
    p. 573) states: "More broadly defined, Mariology is the study of devotion to and thinking about Mary throughout the history of Christianity."
  8. ^
    ISBN 978-1532659799
    . Luther's focused position on Mary has more in common with the Orthodox Christian view of the Theotokos, Mary as the Mother of God, rather than with the Roman Catholic view of her as intercessor. ... As a result, the early Lutheran Reformation had both a "biblically based Theotokos-dogma using the Mariology of the ancient church, and it had a Marian piety and devotion based on this dogma, taking its bearings from the soteriologically interpreted notion of God's condescension." ... Lutherans thus confessed in the Formula of Concord in the Solid Declaration, Article VIII. 24: On account of this person union and communion of the natures, Mary, the most blessed virgin, did not conceive a mere, ordinary human being, but a human being who is truly the Son of the most high God, as the angel testifies. He demonstrated his divine majesty even in his mother's womb in that he was born of a virgin without violating her virginity. Therefore she is truly the mother of God and yet remained a virgin.
  9. ^ a b Karkan, Betsy (31 May 2017). "Luther's Love for St. Mary, Queen of Heaven". Lutheran Reformation. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  10. ^ Schmemann, Alexander (1970) "On Mariology in Orthodoxy," Marian Library Studies: Vol. 2, Article 4, pp. 25–32. Available at: http://ecommons.udayton.edu/ml_studies/vol2/iss1/4
  11. ^
    ISBN 0860120066
    pp. 393–394.
  12. ^
    ISBN 9004126546
    p. 409.
  13. ^ Damascene, John. Homily 2 on the Dormition 14; p. 96, 741 B.
  14. ^ Damascene, John. Homily 2 on the Dormition 16; PG 96, 744 D.
  15. ISBN 0881410519
    p. 67.
  16. ISBN 0881411418
    pp. 60–61.
  17. ISBN 0567087557
    .
  18. ^ "Protestantische Marien Kunst", in Bäumer, Marienlexikon, V, pp. 325–336, Marian veneration in Protestantismus, pp. 336–342.
  19. ISBN 1593377134
    p. 84.
  20. ^ "Walsingham shrine". Archived from the original on 29 December 2010.
  21. ISBN 978-1579183554
    p. 590.
  22. ISBN 978-1135960285
    . This view of the proper place of Mary and the saints in the lives of the faithful is codified for Lutherans in the Book of Concord (1580); these confessions also include the reaffirmation of Mary's perpetual virginity (in Luther's Schmalkadic Articles of 1537) and her title of Theotokos, and praise her as "the most blessed virgin" (Formula of Concord, 1577).
  23. ^ a b "Saint Mary in the Orthodox Concept". Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  24. ISBN 0802822665
    p. 84.
  25. ^ "The Canons of the Two Hundred Holy and Blessed Fathers Who Met at Ephesus". ccel.org. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  26. ^ "Mary, The New Eve". Archived from the original on 3 December 2008. Retrieved 8 October 2008.
  27. ^ A. Cameron, "The Theotokos in sixth-century Constantinople", Journal of Theological Studies, New Series 19 (1978:79–108).
  28. ^ John L. Osborne, "Early Medieval Painting in San Clemente, Rome: The Madonna and Child in the Niche" Gesta 20.2 (1981:299–310) and (note 9) referencing T. Klauser, "Rom under der Kult des Gottesmutter Maria", Jahrbuch für der Antike und Christentum 15 (1972:120–135).
  29. ^ M. Mundell, "Monophysite church decoration" Iconoclasm (Birmingham) 1977:72.' [1], [2].
  30. ^ Liber Pontificalis, I, 317.
  31. ^ First mentioned under this new dedication in the Salzburg Itinerary, undated but first half of the seventh century (Maria Andalore, "La datazione della tavola di S. Maria in Trastevere", Rivista dell'Istituto Nazionale d'Archeologia e Storia d'Arte, New Series 20 [1972–73:139–215], p. 167).
  32. ^ Liber Pontificalis, I, 376.
  33. ISBN 0802837832
    p. 272.
  34. ISBN 0310457416
    p. 168.
  35. ^ Academia Mariana Salesiana, 1950, Centro Mariano Monfortano to Rome, 1950, Pontifical University Marianum, 1950, and Collegiamento Mariano Nationale, 1958.
  36. ^
    ISBN 0860120066
    pp. 901–902.
  37. ^ Kihn, 63.
  38. ^ Joseph Ratzinger, Introduction to Christianity, 1968, in the original German version, p. 230.
  39. ^ "Mariologie", in Bäumer, Lexikon der Marienkunde.
  40. ^ Maria und die Kirche, Tyrolia-Verlag, 1961 (English Translation: Our Lady and the Church, Zaccheus Press, 2004).
  41. ^ Hugo Rahner in Bäumer, Lexikon der Marienkunde.
  42. ^ Lexikon der kath., "Dogmatik, Mariologie", 1988.
  43. Saint Louis de Montfort,God Alone
    .
  44. ^ Pope John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater, 51.
  45. Mystici corporis Christi
    ; John Henry Newman: Mariology is always christocentric, in Michael Testa, Mary: The Virgin Mary in the Life and Writings of John Henry Newman, 2001.
  46. ^ Lexikon der kath. Dogmatik, Mariologie, 1988.

References

  • Konrad Algermissen, Lexikon der Marienkunde, Regensburg, 1967 (Roman Catholic mariological Encyclopedia)
  • Remigius Bäumer, Marienlexikon, Eos, St. Ottilien, 1992 (Roman Catholic mariological Encyclopedia)
  • W Beinert, Lexikon der katholischen Dogmatik, Herder Freiburg, 1988 (Roman Catholic theological Encyclopedia)
  • Heinrich Kihn, Encyklopaedie und Methodologie der Theologie, Freiburg, Herder, 1892(Roman Catholic theological Encyclopedia)
  • Joseph Ratzinger, Introduction to Christianity, 1968 (Roman Catholic Pope Benedict XVI
    )

External links
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