THE HEART OF MARY: THE PRINCIPLE THEME IN EUDIST MARIOLOGY (original) (raw)

The Marian Paradox: Marian Practices as a Road to a New Mariology

Feminist Theology, 2011

Disregarding trends of secularization, the Virgin Mary still plays an important role in religious devotions all over the world, even in the West. This does not diminish the controversies, debates and theo-political struggles that surround Mary and a Marian theology, as will be shown in this article. Western feminist theologies mostly choose, in general accordance with the Second Vatican Council, for a liberating, biblical, human Mary contra a more cosmological Mary, object of devotional piety. This contribution gives a critical sketch of the background of these developments in Mariology and argues for a closer look at Marian devotional practices in order to find some inspiring elements for rethinking divine presence, Mary and perhaps a new Mariology. Can feminists find inspiration in this approach without forfeiting critical power and without denying the paradoxical and dangerous dimensions of Mary?

New Directions in Mariology within Theology: Mary, Mother of God, Theotokos, Type of the Church, Illuminator of the Fullness of Christian Faith and Theology, Theology, Vol. 119 (3) 185 - 192, May 2016.

Theology, 2016

In the extraordinary historical event of the incarnation of God’s Word, Mary plays a unique role for humanity in its relationship with God and, this role affects every aspect of Christian faith and theology. To fully express this role, a new phase of Marian research that builds upon the Church’s tradition is proposed. The emphasis of this new phase would be to explore the role, meaning and the full implications and potential of Mary within the central tenets of Christian faith and theology with the purpose of deepening the Church’s comprehension of Christianity itself and not simply of Mary.

“Devotion versus Theology? Some Mariological Issues of Interest to Patristicians and Ecumenists”

Cristian Badilita, ed., Patristique et oecuménisme: thèmes, contexts, personnages (Paris: Beauchesne), 147-158., 2010

This paper will look at some mariological issues, first from the perspective of late Roman Catholic theologian and cardinal Yves Congar, and then from an Orthodox perspective, trying to make some suggestions for the ongoing ecumenical dialogue among Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants. Throughout his life the late Congar was involved in the ecumenical movement striving for the unity of all Christians. As any serious theologian, he did not seek quick and easy solutions that would relativize the differences among us for the sake of unity, but rather tried to identify and address the real differences with the utmost honesty and with the risk of being silenced by his own Church at times. In recognizing that our differences are due to our ecclesiologies and that ecclesiology is determined by christology, in his book titled Christ, Our Lady and the Church Congar proposed that we take a closer look at our christologies to understand what went wrong there. 1 Congar recognized that, compared to the Churches which emerged from the Reformation, the Orthodox Church has much more in common with the Roman Catholic Church. Consequently, our christologies and the doctrines ensuing thence (ecclesiologies and mariologies) have also a lot more in common. Congar notes that, while most Protestants recognize only the first four ecumenical councils (and some will perhaps accept the decisions of the sixth), Orthodox and Roman Catholics accept seven ecumenical councils. It was precisely at the latter three councils that the consequences of the christological dogma formulated at the councils of Ephesus and Chalcedon were expressed 1 Y. M.-J. CONGAR, Christ, Our Lady and the Church. A Study in Eirenic Theology, tr. H. St. JOHN, Westminster, MD, The Newmann Press, 1957.

Confirmation in the Spirit by Conformation to Mary: The Gifts of the Spirit in Mariological Perspective

Marian Studies , 2017

This article investigates a Mariological interpretation of the sacrament of confirmation, exploring the figure of Mary as a model recipient of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, with broader implications for understanding the interrelation of nature and grace. It draws upon a strand of patristic Mariology that relates Christian initiation to conformation with Mary. Such passages are found in Origen, Gregory of Nazianzus and Gregory of Nyssa, who all speak of the souls of the faithful being conformed to Mary. As Mary received the Word of God in her womb, so Christ is formed more deeply in the soul of the Christian strengthened by confirmation.

Implications of the postconciliar mariology for the catholic spirituality in Poland

„Roczniki Teologiczne” 63(2016), z. 5, s. 185-204., 2016

Spirituality as a function of holiness and — as St. John Paul II teaches us — “life in Christ and in the Spirit”, which is accepted in faith, expressed in love and inspired by hope, and so becomes the daily life of the Church community” (EiAm 29), remains closely related to Mariology. This relationship has its methodological, contend-doctrinal and practical implications. In terms of methodological implications, there is a need for a wider open-ing up of spiritual theology to elements of Mariology. It seems that today’s ex-perts in Mariology perceive a need for turning to spirituality to a larger extent than spiritual theologians do with regard to turning to Mariology. One should also emphasize Marian spirituality as such. With respect to content-doctrinal Mariological implications for spirituality, the following issues should be given attention to: Holy Trinity dwelling in man, christoformisation, the work of the Holy Spirit, the grace of the sacra-ments which are the source and manifestation spiritual life, spiritual anthropol-ogy, the role of the body and the senses in spiritual life, spiritual and mystical experience, as well as conversation and the dynamism of spiritual growth. The third, practical area of relationship of Mariology to spiritual theology is the placement of spiritual life in the social and ecclesial context. In today’s Church in Poland, mariologists and theologians are facing new challenges, for example: the cult of Divine Mercy, the Message of Fatima, the sanctuaries and pilgrimage movement, which are still vibrant, as well as dynamic Christian as-sociations.

Mariology in the documents of ecumenical dialogue and Christian unity

Ecumenical dialogue that seeks to bring all followers of Christ closer to unity faces many difficulties. One is the incorrect understanding of ecumenism (doctrinal, spiritual and practical). Also, an obstacle is the lack of distinction between the unity of Christians and the unity of the Churches. This article presents another such difficulty in the path of Christian unity, which is the Mariological (doctrinal) and Marian (worship/devotion) issues. Ecumenical meetings, therefore, do not avoid such complex topics concerning the Mother of God, such as her virginity, immaculate conception, assumption or her role as Mother of the Church. Many Christian traditions have different interpretations of these truths. Catholic and Orthodox communities even consider them an inalienable part of their spiritual heritage, while most Protestant communities have a more nuanced approach and do not accept these truths as binding but reject them.A compilation of the documents to date relating to the Mother of God proves to be a big, positive surprise. Of course, these are writings of varying degrees of validity, as they come as much from international mixed official commissions as from national bilateral bodies or local debates. Nevertheless, both their prominence and impact, as well as their quantity, make it clear that the person and action of the mother of Jesus animate and promote the difficult rapprochement of the followers of her Divine Son.