Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Messy Inspirations

Home
Catholic
Marian Dogmas: Avoiding Extremes

Marian Dogmas: Avoiding Extremes

Last updated on: May 11, 2021 at 11:25 am by Fellow Dying Inmate

Marian Dogmas: Avoiding Extremes 2021-05-11T11:25:56-04:00 Fellow Dying Inmate

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Marian dogmas

Marian Dogmas / Image by Manfred Antranias Zimmer from Pixabay

It is less important to affirm or deny the Marian dogmas than why you do so.

When it comes to Mary and Christianity, Billy Joel’s song “I Go to Extremes” always comes to mind. It is difficult to find a balanced approach to our sister and fellow-creature, Mary. At one extreme, Christians think there is nothing special about the Mother of Jesus. On the other, Mary is the center of everything, practically the fourth person of the Trinity.

Want a balanced and “o” orthodox approach to the Blessed Mother? Here is a video presentation on the criteria for proper Marian devotion—

Marian Dogmas & Balance

In medio stat virtus—**virtue is in the middle. Our problem is that when it comes to Mary, Catholics forget this truth. We tend to relish going extreme in one direction with the mother of Jesus.

At the opposite extreme are the Mariophobes. Many on the Protestant side of the Tiber are obstinately Marian minimalists. There is nothing special about Mary, a sinner like any other human being, and to some, even more so! And these Christians are brainwashed into anti-Marian rhetoric and vehemently opposed to the slightest suggestion of saying anything positive about Mary.

And many Catholics? They are far to the other extreme, Manchurian candidates about the Virgin. They constantly obsess about her and present her as a goddess in everything but name only. These are the Mariocentrists or Marian maximalists. And, contrary to widespread popular belief among Catholics, it isn’t virtuous to be a Mariocentrist.

Exploring the Marian Dogmas

How do we get to where virtue is? How do we find a balanced approach when it comes to Mary? Well, let’s explore the Marian dogmas and see if we can avoid going to extremes.

By the way, how many Marian dogmas are there? Only two. Some years following the discovery of the function of the mammalian ovum, in 1854, Pope Pius IX solemnly defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. After seeing cities vaporized in Japan, In 1950, Pope Pius XII defined the dogma of the Assumption—at the end of her life, Mary was taken bodily to heaven.

Many Catholics will have no problem believing either of these Marian dogmas. But why do they assent to them? That is a more important question.

Orthodox Reasons

If you deny or affirm the Marian dogmas, are your reasons orthodox? It is less important that you affirm or deny the Marian dogmas than why you do so.

For example, St. Thomas Aquinas (d. 1274) denied the Immaculate Conception. He did so for orthodox reasons—Aquinas believed it might detract from the universal redemptive work of Christ. So he was wrong, but for the “right” reasons. And his theological approach was more orthodox than a Mariocentrist fanatic who affirms the Marian dogmas but reasons that “Mary didn’t need a savior.”

Like Bernard of Clairvaux (d. 1153) before him, and his Franciscan friend Bonaventure (d. 1274), Dominican Thomas Aquinas refused to accept this belief. He rejected the Immaculate Conception! It turns out he was wrong for the right reason—St. Thomas thought that believing in the Immaculate Conception necessarily detracted from the universal saving work of Christ.

The later creative thought of Franciscan Duns Scotus (d. 1308) overcame Aquinas’ objections. Scotus showed that properly understood, the Immaculate Conception detracted nothing from Christ’s universal redemptive work. Scotus demonstrated that Mary, the Immaculate Conception, most definitely needed a savior. In fact, he showed that the Immaculate Conception, adequately understood, is the most outstanding application of Jesus’ saving act in history. It means that Mary is the most saved of all creatures.

The Why of Marian Dogmas

So, when it comes to the Marian dogmas, or anything really, it is better to be wrong for right reasons than right for the wrong reasons. But you can’t tell that to the dwindling number of Catholics these days because, for centuries, our overlords have been satisfied with K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid!) catechesis. We prefer verbally orthodox parrots to persons despite what Karl Rahner said: “If you keep repeating dogma, it eventually becomes heresy.”

Well, as the empty pews testify, “Keep It Simple, Stupid!” keeps them stupid, simply. And Dietrich Bonhoeffer (d. 1945) was right—against stupidity, there is no defense.

Immaculate Conception

Previous Post

May 6, 2021

Mary of History

Next Post

May 11, 2021 Real Is Always More

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What holiday celebrates Jesus rising from the dead?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Pentecost Passover Easter Christmas

Support this
Column