Marian Studies Volume 35 Proceedings of the Thirty-Fifth National Convention of The Mariological Society of America Article 15 held in Washington, D.C. 1984 A Survey of Recent Mariology Eamon R. Carroll Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.udayton.edu/marian_studies Part of the Religion Commons Recommended Citation Carroll, Eamon R. (1984) "A Survey of Recent Mariology," Marian Studies: Vol. 35, Article 15. Available at: https://ecommons.udayton.edu/marian_studies/vol35/iss1/15 This Back Matter is brought to you for free and open access by the Marian Library Publications at eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Marian Studies by an authorized editor of eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Carroll: A Survey of Recent Mariology A SURVEY OF RECENT MARIOLOGY The introduction and first division for this year's Survey is Mary and ecumenism. Late last month (April, 1984), the Ecu­ menical Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary sponsored an inter­ national conference at Blackrock, College, Dublin, Ireland, with participants from England, Ireland, America and the European continent. The conference was organized by Dom Alberic Stac­ poole, O.S.B., general secretary of the Society, and by Michael O'Carroll, C.S.Sp., leading figure in the Irish branch of the So­ ciety. Many principals of the parent English Society were present as well, e.g., E. Yarnold, S.J., Mr. Farrelly, Mr. McQuirk (trea­ surer), etc. American representatives included Msgr. John Mur­ phy, currently President of the American Ecumenical Society, Dr. Donald G. Dawe of Richmond, Virginia, Father D. Grigo­ rieff from Washington, Mrs. DeTrana and a half dozen more. The Blackrock conference was the sixth such international gathering the ESBVM has organized, beginning with London, 1971. Many papers from previous conferences have been pub­ lished, in some cases the complete proceedings: for Birming­ ham, 1975, as the Summer, 1975 Supplement to the Way (no. 25, titled God and Mary); for London/Oxford, 1979, in One in Christ 16 (1980: 1-2), and separately as well under the title Looking Forward; Canterbury, September, 1981, again as a Supplement to The Way Oune, 1982, n. 45: Mary and Ecume­ nism). It makes a joyful start for this year's Survey to announce the proximate publication of the major papers and some smaller "communications" from the five-day Irish meeting, to appear as Mary in Christian Tradition, in Supplement to The Way (Au­ tumn, 1984, no. 51). A.J. Stacpoole will do the introduction. There will be articles by Bishop Kevin McNamara of Kerry (his opening address, "The Holy Spirit and Mary"); by Dr. Donald Dawe, Presbyterian, first President of the American Society ("Dogma of the Immaculate Conception in Ecumenical Perspec- XXXV (1984) MARIAN STUDIES 157-187 Published by eCommons, 1984 1 Marian Studies, Vol. 35 [1984], Art. 15 158 A Survey ofRecent Mariology tive"); by Anglican Bishop Richard Hanson ("Development of Theology and Marian Theology"); Peter Hebblethwaite, English journalist ("The Mariology of Popes John XXIII, Paul VI and John Paul II"); Mrs. Mary Anne DeTrana (from Richmond, Vir­ ginia, "Mary and the Role of Women in the Orthodox Tradi­ tion"); Bishop Kallistos Ware (England, "The Sanctity and Glory of the Mother of God: Some Orthodox Positions"); Pro­ fessor Desmond O'Connell (Ireland, "Virginity as a Creative Force"). There were eleven short "communications," some of which may find place in the published volume or as Society pamphlets. Among these further speakers were: John McHugh of England (Scripture); Peter O'Dwyer, O.Carm. (ancient Irish devotion to Mary); Donal Flanagan of Dublin (Mary and femi­ nism); Christopher O'Donnell, O.Carm. (Mary as charismatic); Sister Celine Mangan (Irish ecumenical joint statement on BVM); Dr. Grigorieff(contemporary Russia); David Doyle (apparitions); Brian Nolan, C.M. (infancy narratives); Eamon R. Carroll, 0. Carm. (Loyola University, Chicago, agreed statements from the international Mariological Congresses, 1965-1983); Edward Yarnold, S.J. (Mary in the ARCIC final report-from the Angli­ can-Roman Catholic international commission). Along with last month's Dublin conference there are other in­ dications that the Virgin Mary is receiving increased notice on the ecumenical scene. At the end of their lengthy statement jus­ tification by Faith (September 30, 1983; in Origins 13 [October 6, 1983] 277-304), the Lutheran-Roman Catholic dialogue in the United States noted the need to take up Mary and the cult of the saints in the context of the all-sufficient saving grace of Christ. And the Lutheran-Roman Catholic consultations did be­ gin the consideration of Mary in the communion of saints at their February, 1984, meeting, with F. M.Jelly, O.P., of our So­ ciety, present. The Marian hopes and difficulties of the Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogues have been reported on both international and American levels. Fr. Yarnold commented at Dublin on the ARCIC report, and NC's Origins printed the American bi-lat­ eral counterpart, of December 22, 1983: "ARC Dialogue Exam­ ines Difficult Questions. Images of God: Reflections on Chris- https://ecommons.udayton.edu/marian_studies/vol35/iss1/15 2 Carroll: A Survey of Recent Mariology A Survey ofRecent Mariology 159 tian Anthropology," in Origins 13 Oanuary 5, 1984) 505-12, es­ pecially 511-12, under "The Communion of Saints," numbers 70-77. The new book by Geoffrey Wainwright, British Methodist (He will be giving a major paper, "Sacramental Theology and the World Church," to the Catholic Theological Society convention here in Washington next month Uune, 1984].) has a section on our Lady. The book is The Ecumenical Moment: Crisis and Op­ portunity for the Church (Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1983); the chapter is "Mary and Methodism," pages 169-188, ex­ panded from a paper originally read to the Ecumenical Society of the BVM in England. The newly-published The Nature ofDoc­ trine. Religion and Theology in a Post-liberal Age (Westminster, Philadelphia, 1984) by the Lutheran George A. Lindbeck consid­ ers Marian dogmas in the chapter "Testing the Theory: Christol­ ogy, Mariology, and Infallibility," especially pages 96-98. Last month also {April, 1984), Canon A. M. Allchin of Can­ terbury published his latest, The joy ofAll Creation. An Angli­ can Meditation on the Place of Mary (Darton, Longman and Todd, London, 1984). Edward Yarnold, S.J., wrote the fore­ word. Canon Allchin has taken part in many ecumenical efforts, representing Canterbury and the Anglican world. This new book, as beautiful in content as in title, surveys Anglican thought from the seventeenth century through the nineteenth into the twentieth, enlising in the chorus of praise poets as well as preachers. A central theme is the role of the body as essential to the joy of Christian worship and integral to the understand­ ing of Mary's place. The ESBVM continues to publish its thrice-yearly content­ packed Newsletter as well as occasional chosen lectures given in one or another of the ten English cities where the Society holds regular meetings, by way of two examples, Gordon Wakefield (Methodist), Mary and the Humanity of jesus (given June, 1983, at Oxford; published January, 1984), and A.). Stac­ poole's provocative Mary in Ecumenical Dialogue, given at the annual general meeting of the Society (London, March 5, 1984), and to be given again at the Marian Congress in Athlone, Ire­ land, on the theme Mary in the Church Today Ouly 1-6, 1984), Published by eCommons, 1984 3 Marian Studies, Vol. 35 [1984], Art. 15 160 A Survey ofRecent Mariology to celebrate the centenary of the Marist Brothers in Ireland. The book Mary's Place in Christian Dialogue, ed. by A.]. Stacpoole and published in England in 1982, has come out in an American edition (Morehouse-Barlow, Wilton, CT, 1983). I praised this twenty-five essay collection of papers from the ESBVM in my last year's Survey and now welcome its reasonably priced American appearance. The American Society has its headquarters in Washington, D.C.; current president is Msgr. John J. Murphy, with vice-presidents (both former presidents) D. Grigorieff(Russian Orthodox) and Domild G. Dawe (Presby­ terian). The American Society meets twice yearly, spring and fall, and has in planning a book of its own papers with a selec­ tive recommended reading list; memberships and other infor­ mation are available from the secretary-treasurer, Elise Smith (423-4th St. N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002). An ecumenical roundtable was a feature of the ninth interna­ tional Mariological Congress held in Malta, September, 1983; this was the sixth such ecumenical gathering in a series begun at Santo Domingo in 1965. As on previous occasions, the discus­ sions issued in an agreed statement, on the theme of Mary in the communion of saints, signed by seven Roman Catholic partic­ ipants and by seven r.epresentatives of other Christian bodies: Anglican, Orthodox, Lutheran, Calvinist (Reformed). It was dated September 15, 1983, and appeared, with the names of the signers, in the English weekly L'Osservatore Romano, Sep­ tember 26, 1983. An article by Walter Kasper, summarized in the fall, 1982 is­ sue o~ Theology Digest (not published in fact until January, 1984), "Dialog with Reformation Churches" (pages 213-216) mentions as two remaining major problems: 1) episcopal minis­ try-which brings in apostolic succession and the papacy, and, inevitably, eucharistic unity also; 2) "Veneration of the saints and Mariology; unlike the sixteenth century where such differ­ ences seemed non-basic, today mariology seems the touchstone for reaching accord on justification and christology." 2. Periodicals and annuals The second division of this Survey covers the periodicals, Mar- https://ecommons.udayton.edu/marian_studies/vol35/iss1/15 4 Carroll: A Survey of Recent Mariology A Survey ofRecent Mariology 161 ianum, Ephemerides Mariologicae, and Cahiers Man(tfs, and the annual proceedings of the Spanish and French Mariological Soci­ eties.