Mariology
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Mariology is the theological study of Mary, which methodically presents teachings about her and her veneration to other parts of the faith, such as teachings about Jesus Christ, redemption and grace. There exists variety of Christian views on Mary (Marian views), which do not constitute mariology.
Mariology is a mainly Roman Catholic discipline, based on four dogmas on Mary which are a part of Roman Catholic theology and need to be explained in this context.
Roman Catholic Mariology is summarized in the document Lumen Gentium of the Second Vatican Council Within the Catholic Church, the focus is on veneration of the Mother of God. Roman Catholic Mariology received additional input from Liberation Theology, which emphasizes popular Marian piety, and from feminist theology, stressing both the dignity of women and gender differences.
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[edit] Marian views
Eastern Orthodox theology calls her the Theotokos, emphasizing her status as the mother of God incarnate in Jesus, but not the mother of God from eternity.
Protestant views of Mary vary from denomination to denomination. They focus generally on interpretations of Mary in the bible, the Creed, (which professes the virgin birth), and the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus, in 431, calling Mary the Mother of God. While some early Protestants created Marian art and allowed limited forms of Marian veneration, [1] today's Protestants do not share the veneration of Mary practiced by Roman Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox. Martin Luther's views on Mary, John Calvin's views on Mary, Karl Barth's views on Mary and others have all formed modern Protestant views. Anglican Marian theology also varies greatly, from the Anglo-Catholic (very close to Roman Catholic views) to the far more typically Protestant Evangelical views.
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 Islamic view of the Virgin Mary, known as Maryam in Arabic, is that she was an extremely pious and chaste woman who miraculously gave birth while still a virgin to the prophet Jesus, known in Arabic as Isa.
[edit] Mariology as a theological discipline
Mariology has the task, to connect scripture, tradition and the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church on Mary. Ecumenical differences continue to exist in substance and style but are easier understood because of the very existence of mariology. Mariology is mainly a Roman Catholic undertaking, as Orthodox views on Mary are mostly expressed in liturgy and are not subject to a central dogmatic teaching office. While systematic Marian theology is not new, Pope Pius XII credited with promoting the independent theological study of Mary on a large scale with the creation or elevation of four papal mariological research centres.[2] The papal institutes were created to foster mariological research and to explain and support the Roman Catholic veneration of Mary. This new orientation was continued by Popes John XXIII, Paul VI and John Paul II with the additional creation of Pontifica Academia Mariana Internationale and Centro di Cultura Mariana, a pastoral center to promulgate Marian teachings of the Church, and, Societa Mariologica Italiana, an Italian mariological society with interdisciplinary orientation.
[edit] Mariological methodology
Mariology, being a part of Roman Catholic theology, uses the sources, methods and criteria of theology, except, that in mariology the question of scriptural basis is more accentuated. [3] Thus, mariology analyzes scriptures and tradition in light of revelation and the overall context of Catholic doctrine and other Church teachings. Official Marian pronouncements beginning with the Apostolic Creed to the teachings of Vatican II are the basis for theology and mariology. The Marian Chapter of the document Lumen Gentium of Vatican II includes twenty-six biblical references. They refer to the conception, birth and childhood of Jesus, Mary’s role in several events and under the cross. Of importance to mariological methodology is a Vatican II teaching, that these reports are not allegories with symbolic value but historical revelations, a point emphasized by Pope Benedict XVI. [4]
[edit] Maximalism versus minimalism
Mariology is a field of theology in which deeply felt pious beliefs of the Catholic faithful and hagiography conflict often with scientific analysis and critical historical reviews of beliefs and practices. This conflict has been recognized early on. Around the year 1300 William of Ware described the tendency to attribute almost everything to Mary [5] Bonaventura warned against Marian maximalism and minimalism. “One has to be careful as to not to minimize the honour of our Lord, Jesus Christ” [6] In the 20th century, Pius XII, "the most Marian Pope in Church history” [7] warned nevertheless against both exuberant exaggerations and timid minimalism in the presentation of Mary. [8]
[edit] Relation to other theological disciplines
[edit] Christology - who is Christ?
By being the “Mother of God”, Mary has a unique role in the salvation and redemption of the human race. This fact was contemplated and written about and expanded in the early Church and thereafter, creating a rich Marian tradition both in Blessed Virgin Mary (Roman Catholic) veneration and theology, which for mariology today is of great importance but also of dispute within the Roman Catholic Church (and between Christian denominations).[9]
[edit] Biblical research
Roman Catholic Mariology participates in and benefits from biblical research, employing historical text-critical analysis and all the other methods employed by biblical scholarship. ). Like all scriptures, biblical statements on Mary are not only a part of divine revelation, but were written in a historic and socio-cultural context, which require explanation. Of special importance in this context is the application of biblical hermeneutics (the analysis of synonym words for a better understanding of their meaning). Hermeneutics assists in the analysis of the relation between biblical statements on Mary, the faith of the early Christians and the Marian tradition of the Church. Because of the mother-son relation, The historical Life of Jesus Research is of obvious interest to mariology.[10]
[edit] Church history
With in the field of Church history, mariology is concerned with the development of Marian teachings and the various forms of Marian veneration and 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. The history of dogma and the development of dogma within the Church is also of concern. Patrology and dogmatic history provide a basis for popes to justify Marian belief, Marian veneration and Marian dogmas like the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption. Thus, in Fulgens Corona and Munificentissimus Deus Pope Pius XII explained these two dogmas in terms of existing biblical references to Mary, the patristic tradition, and, the strong historical faith (sensus fidelium). He employed a deductive theological method. ).[11]
[edit] Moral theology
There seems to be at first sight no direct relation of Mariology to Moral Theology. However, in the words of Pius X, as Mary is viewed as the model of virtue, virginity and a life free of sin, her life exemplifies many moral teachings of the Church and is used in pastoral theology and homiletics (sermons). Moral theology includes teachings on mysticism, to which Marian spirituality relates. Marian charisma, Marian apparitions and other private revelations are subject to Catholic teachings on revelation, mysticism and canon law.
[edit] Organization of Mariology
The presentation of mariology differs among theologians. Some prefer to present its historical development, others divide mariology by its content ( Marian dogmas, Marian grace, Mary’s role in redemption etc.) Some prefer to present mariology only in terms of her attributes ( honour, titles, privileges ) others attempt to integrate Mary into their overall theology and into the salvation mystery of Jesus Christ. [12] Some prominent theologians such as Karl Barth or Karl Rahner, in the 20th century viewed Mariology only as a part of Christology. Differences exist even within the best of families. Hugo Rahner, the brother of Karl Rahner, disagreed and developed a mariology, based on writers of the early Church, [13] ( Ambrose of Milan, Augustine and others). He sees in Mary the mother and model for the Church, a view later highlighted by the Popes Paul VI through Benedict XVI. [14] The Wikipedia articles (listed in the templates on the right) use a mainly historical approach, in part, because there exists as of now no solid theological base. Major articles on theology are still missing, and several existing ones lack the theological depth which is required for explaining and understanding mariological concepts.
[edit] Sources
- 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)
[edit] References
- ^ Protestantische Marien Kunst in Bäumer Marienlexikon, V, pp 325-336, Marian veneration in Protestantismus, pp 336-342
- ^ Academia Mariana Salesiana, 1950, Centro Mariano Monfortano to Rome, 1950, Pontifical University Marianum, 1950, and Collegiamento Mariano Nationale, 1958
- ^ Kihn, 63
- ^ Joseph Ratzinger Introduction to Christianity, 1968, in the original German version p. 230
- ^ C Balic in the Marian rules of Dun Scotus in Euntes Docete, 9, 1956, 110
- ^ Bonaventura Opera VI, 497
- ^ Bäumer, Kirchenlexikon, Pius XII
- ^ Encyclical Ad Caeli Reginam
- ^ Lexikon der kath. Dogmatik, Mariologie, 1988
- ^ H Kihn, Encyclopedie fer theologie, 1892, 102
- ^ Lexikon der kath. Dogmatik, Mariologie, 1988
- ^ Mariologie,in Bäumer Lexikon der Marienkunde
- ^ Hugo Rahner Kirche und Staat im frühen Christentum,München 1961
- ^ Hugo Rahner in Bäumer, Lexikon der Marienkunde
