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University of Dayton eCommons Marian Reprints Marian Library Publications 1955 035 - Protestantism and the Mother of God Kenneth F. Dougherty Follow this and additional works at: http://ecommons.udayton.edu/marian_reprints Part of the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Dougherty, Kenneth F., "035 - Protestantism and the Mother of God" (1955). Marian Reprints. Paper 9. http://ecommons.udayton.edu/marian_reprints/9 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Marian Library Publications at eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Marian Reprints by an authorized administrator of eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. ?ooteotanfce??t aad fie%fuo4 fu KENNETH F. DOUGHERTY, S.A. Number 35 ABOUI THE AUTHOR . Father Kenneth F. Dougherty, S.A., is a professor of theology at Atonement Semin&ry, Washington, D.C., and a member of the faculty of the College of Notre Dame, Baltimore, Maryland. The survey of the beliefs of Protestant ministers in Mary's Di- vine Motherhood was originall5' prepared for the Mariological Society of America, and a report on the survey was given at the sixth annual convention of that organi zation in January 1955. The present reprint is a condensation of the complete report as published in Martan Studi,es, VI ( 1955 ) . Readers seeking further information on this topic will be interested in the following: Weigel, Gustave, A Suruey of Protestant Theology in Our DaA. Westminster, Md., Newman Press, 1954. Hamer, J. P., "Mariology and Protestant Theolo gy:' Theology Dtgest, Spring, 7954, pp. 67-70. Palmer, Paul F., Mary tn Protestant Theology and' Worship. ( Marian Library Study, 3 ) 1955. Flardon, John A., Protestant Churches of America. Westminster, Md., Newman Press, 1956. Whelan, William J., SeTtarated, Brethren. Milwaukee, Bruce, 1958- (published u;ith ecclesiastical approual ) First printing, May 1955 Reprinted, March 1958 The Marian Library U n iversity of Dayton Dayton, Ohio PROTESTANTFM AND THE IUIOTHER OF GOD KENNETH F. DOUGHERTY, S. A. CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN PROTESIANT ATTITUDES TOWARD IHE DIVINE MATERNITY (ASurveyReportoftheopinionsof|0oProtestantMinistersof l7 Denominations) During the Marian Year Protestants in America expressed a variety of attitudes concerning Mary the Mother of God' These ranged from the awesome bewilderment of the Baptisls to the fervent devotions of Angio- catholic Religious in their convents and monasteries' Twentieth century Protestantism in America is highly variegaled in its attitudes toward our tady. Episcopalians build churches and hospitals in honor of st. Mary. High Church congregalions recite fhe rosary that they may obtain favors through the intercession of Our Blessed Mother' Other Episcopaliar parishes regard all this as "papish supersfitions" and affirm that Mary.is simply a holy woman to whom no cultus is owed because she is the mother of Christ and not the Mother of God' It became obvious that if this article were to bb actualized, the source maferial would have to be furnished by contacting the subiects of this study. This was achieved by sending out a questionnaire to 270 minis- ters of l7 denominations in 29 States and fhe District of columbia' one hundred replies were received which constitute the basis of this research. The original responses are filed in the library of the Atonement seminary, Washington, D. C. These l0O replies from the ministers of l7 denominations are not tc be taken as a representative statistical sample of the many thousands of ministers representing more than 265 sects in America. lt is reasonable to affirm, however, that the study can offer some insight into contempo' rary attitudes of Protestant ministers toward Mary the Molher of God' METHOD OF THE RESEARCH A simple questionnaire posted to the subiects of the research was the only meihod of contact used in this study. The following is a reproduc- tion of the questionnaire: PROTESTANTISM AND THE TIOTHER OF GOD ;::ffT:Tougherty, s. A. ;-:,il*;?,il 8: Reverend and dear Sir: I anl composing a study concerning American Protestant beliefs a- bout Mary, the Mother of God. Would you be kind enough to answer the questions on the remainder of this letter and post it to the address on the envelope enclosed. No personal names shall be mentioned in this study. With kindest regards to you, Sincerely, K. F'. Dougherty, S. A. Do you believe that Mary is the Mother of God ? (Yes - No) What reasons do you give for this belief or disbelief ? ( A spuce f ollnuted for the crnsu)er - mnnA ol tltp ministers g&ue arn- ple replies u>hich entended on th,e oth,er sidn of the letter. ) If you believe in Mary as the Mother of God, what devotions, if any, do you have in her honor ? The denominations covered in this survey are the following: Episcopa- lians, Northern and Southern Baptists, The United Lutheran Church of America, Evangelical Lutherans, Lutherans of the Missouri Synod, Presby- terians, Methodists, Church of the Latter Day Saints, Evangelical and Re- formed Church, Disciples of Christ, Universalists, The Church of Christ, The Seventh Day Adventist, Quakers, Unitarians and Congregationalists. Responses came from ministers in twenty-nine States. Most of the re- plies came from rural and urban ministers. Some came from professors in seminaries. The I 00 replies out of 270 ministers contacted are con- sidered a good return. GENERAT SURVEY OF REPI.IES In answer to the question: Do you believe that Mary is the Mother of God? the following answers were received from ministers of the particu- lar sects surveyed: PNOTESTANTISM AND THE MOTHER OF GOD Name of Sect Total of Responses Yes No Pos ition U ncerta in Episcopalians 18 11 7 Ba ptists 16 2 9 5 Lutherans 21 5 12 4 Presbyteria ns 9 I M ethod ists 21 3 14 4 Smaller Sects 15 1 12 2 Total . 100 22 63 15 ln the classification of the smaller sects we include: Morrnons (The Church of the Latter Day Saints), Evangelical and Reformed Church, Dis- ciples of Christ, Universalists, Church of Christ, Seventh Day Adventist;, Quakers, Unitarians and Congregationalists. In response to the question: "lf you believe in Mary as the Mother oF God, what devotions, if any, do you have in her honor?" eleven Episco- palians affirmed that they had such devotions as the rosary and the Angelus, novenas in her honor as well as Masses and offices of the bre- viary. One Lutheran minister said that he recited the Angelus; another Lutheran said that he kept Candlemas, the Feasts of the Annunciation and "other Bible-founded festivities of Our Lady". A Northern Baptist min- ister affirmed that he said the rosary privately. Eighty-six ministers reported no devotions to Mary. The common reason why 63 ministers inI this survey denied that Mary is the Mother of God is to be found inn their belief that the Catholic Church divinizes Our Lady by this tirle. Frequently throughout the let- ters received there was evidenced a definite attempt lo give scriptural evidence for lhe humanity of Mary and also to prove that she belonged to fallen human race. The ministers appealed to the testimony of fhe Scriptures that there is only one Saviour and Mediator beNveen God and man, fhe Lord Jesus, and that Mary cannot be for us another saviour and mediator. They argued, furthermore, that Mary's maternity is simply human in thpt she is only the mother of Christ the man and nol the Mother of God, because God cannot have a beginning, as the Scriptures repeatedly remind us. In this respect one might label their error for the most part Nestorian, but in general their reason for denying the Di- vine Mafernity of Mary is more broad than the Nestorian denial of the Theotokos. THE PROTESTANT EPISCOPAT CHURCH One refired bishop, two seminary professors, five Religious and ten PROTESTANTISM AND THE MOTHEN OF GOD ministers in parishes responded to our questionnaire. Out of these eight- teen, eleven affirmed fhat Mary is the Mother of God, seven dissented. The retired bishop from a Southern state said that the Divine Mafernify was "a medieval teaching"' and preferred to call Our Lady "the Mother of Jesus" and not the Mother of God. A seminary professor from Berkeley Divinity School, New Haven, Con- necficul, affirmed that Mary is the Mother of God because: "Our Lord is the Divine Son of God. Therefore, the Blessed Virgin, His Mother, can rightfully be called "Mother of God"' "Theotokos". A seminary pro- fessor from Western Theological Seminary, Evansion, lllinois, wrote: "The term 'theotokos' is meritable as applied to the Blessed Virgin as a safe- guard against Nestorianism." Episcopalian Religious in their replies were unanimous in their affir- mation of the Divine Maternity. An Episcopalian Sister from a convent af Peekskill, New York, observed: "lt is the only reasonable thing one can think, if one believes in the Incarnation, which is the foundation of the Catholic faith." These and other Episcopalians quoted the Church Coun- cils, the Scriptures and tradition in favor of the revealed truth that Mary is the Mother of God. The seminary professor from Evanston, lllinois, pleaded that this was Anglican Church doctrine: "You know of course that the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus in 431 is accepted by ihe Anglican Church." The seven dissenting ministers would not agree with this opinion of the Evanston professor. A typical negative reply came from a minister at Princeton, New Jersey: Mary is a child of God (hence a creature) who was chosen by Him to bear and deliver to the world the Child, the Son of Man, the hu- man nature of the Second Person of the Divine Trinity, in the Incar- nation. She is therefore of Time and Space, historically speaking.
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