Anglican Marian theology

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Anglican Marian theology is the doctrines and beliefs of Anglicanism concerning the Blessed Virgin Mary. Within the Church of England and the Anglican Communion the Virgin Mary has always held a place of honor, but many of the doctrines surrounding her have been called into question over the centuries.

While Protestantism usually follows the reformers of the 16th century in rejecting the practice of directly praying to Mary and other saints, as part of their religious worship of God, Anglicanism allows for prayers to Mary and the saints. Anglicans will typically call the respect or honor that they may have for Mary as veneration because of the special religious significance she has within Christianity as the mother of Jesus Christ. Since Anglicans believe that Jesus was both human and God the Son, the second Person of the Trinity, then Mary is to be accorded honor as the Mother of God.

Contents

[edit] Mary in Pre-Reformation England

Tradition has it the Saint Joseph of Arimathea first brought Christianity to England, and established the first Celtic Christian church at Glastonbury in 65 A.D. It was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. By the time of the Anglo-Saxons, in the 6th century, Marian piety was so widespread throughout the country that England had become known as Mary's Dowry. It is believed that England was the first Catholic country to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption, in 1060.

Many of the great English saints were devoted to Mary, and wrote prayers about her. St. Edmund of Canterbury wrote many prayers addressed to her, and St. Richard and St. Thomas Becket were also especially devoted to the Mother of God. But the English saint that was most dedicated to her was Anselm of Canterbury, who wrote many prayers and books about and dedicated to "the spotless Ever-Virgin Mother of Christ".

[edit] The English Reformation

One aspect of the English Reformation was a widespread reaction against Mary as a mediatrix alongside Christ, or sometimes even in his place. Such exaggerated devotions, in part inspired by presentations of Christ as an inaccessible Judge as well as Redeemer, were criticized by Erasmus and Thomas More and rejected by the Church of England. Together with a new aspect of Scripture as the fundamental standard of faith, there was a renewed devotion by the Reformers to the belief that Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God the Father and humanity. This rejected any overt devotion to Mary. It led also to the loss and the diminution of her place in the life of the Church.

The English Reformers continued to receive the doctrine of the ancient Church concerning Mary. Their positive teaching about Mary concentrated on her role in the Incarnation: it is summed up in their acceptance of her as the Mother of God, because this was seen to be both scriptural and traditional. Following the traditions of the Early Church and other Reformers like Martin Luther, the English Reformers such as Hugh Latimer, Thomas Cranmer and John Jewel accepted that Mary was 'Ever Virgin'. They also neither affirmed nor denied the possibility of Mary having been preserved by grace from participation in this general human condition. It also is notable that the Book of Common Prayer in the Christmas collect and preface refers to Mary as ‘a pure Virgin'.

From 1561, the calendar of the Church of England contained five feasts associated with Mary: The Conception of Mary, Nativity of Mary, Annunciation, Visitation, and Purification. There was, however, no longer a feast of the Assumption (August 15): not only was it not found in the Bible, but was also seen as exalting Mary to a level above Christ.

Despite the lack of devotion to Mary in the 16th century, reverence for her continued in the use of the Magnificat in Evening Prayer, and the naming and dedication of ancient churches and Lady Chapels. In the 17th century writers such as Lancelot Andrewes, Jeremy Taylor and Thomas Ken took from catholic tradition a fuller appreciation of the place of Mary in the prayers of the Church. Andrewes in his Preces Privatae borrowed from Eastern liturgies when he showed a depth of Marian devotion. This re-appropriation can be traced into the next century, and into the Oxford Movement of the 19th century.

[edit] Today

Mary has a new prominence in Anglican worship through the liturgical renewals of the 20th century. In most Anglican prayer books, Mary is again mentioned by name in the liturgical prayers. Further, August 15th has come to be widely celebrated as a principal feast in honour of St Mary the Virgin with Scripture readings, collect and proper preface. Other ancient feasts associated with Mary have also been renewed, and liturgical resources offered for use on these festivals.

[edit] English Lady Chapels

Some of the most famous chapels dedicated to Mary have been Lady chapels. Since the end of the 6th century Lady Chapels have existed in most English cathedrals, where they often form part of the apse. Traditionally, a Lady chapel is the largest chapel of a cathedral. Generally the chapel was built eastward of the high altar and formed a projection from the main building.

The earliest Lady Chapel built was that in the Anglo-Saxon cathedral at Canterbury. Other English cathedrals with Lady Chapels include: Winchester, Salisbury, Exeter, Wells, St Albans, Chichester, Rochester, and Ely (unusually at Ely the Lady Chapel is an almost separate building to the north of the Choir). The Lady Chapels at Norwich and Peterborough (in a similar position to Ely's) cathedrals were destroyed during the English Reformation.

Probably the most famous Lady-chapel was the Chapel of Our Lady of the Pew, built by Henry III in 1220 at Westminster Abbey. The Abbey also contains Henry VII's Lady Chapel.

[edit] Joint Anglican-Roman Catholic document

On May 16, 2005, the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches issued a joint 43-page statement, "Mary: Hope and Grace in Christ" (also known as the Seattle Statement) on the role of the Virgin Mary in Christianity as a way to uphold ecumenical cooperation despite differences over other matters. The document was released in Seattle, Washington, by Alexander Brunett, the local Catholic Archbishop, and Peter Carnley, Anglican Archbishop of Perth, Western Australia, co-chairmen of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC).

[edit] Anglican vs. Catholic Mariology

Much has been made of the differance between the Mariology of Anglicans and that of Roman Catholics.

Catholic Mariology contends that there are three forms of honor given to God and the Saints: Latria (Worship), Hyperdulia (Adoration), and Dulia (Veneration). Latria is for God alone, Hyperdulia is for Mary, and Dulia is for the rest of the Communion of Saints. While Anglicans can agree that God alone is to be worshiped, giving Mary a degree of veneration above that of the other saints is considered unthinkable. Most Anglican scholars agree with the Eastern Orthodox, that Mary is simply the greatest of all the Saints, and she should be venerated as such.

[edit] Anglican Marian Calendar

[edit] Principal Feast

[edit] Festivals

[edit] Lesser Festivals and Commemorations

[edit] Optional Observances

[edit] Summary

  • Anglicans recognize only one dogma about Mary: that she is the Theotokos, the Mother of God incarnate. All other doctrines, beliefs, or legends about Mary are secondary to her role as Mother of God.
  • Anglicans agree that the doctrine of the Perpetual Virginity of Mary is sound and logical, but without more scriptural proof it cannot be considered dogmatic.
  • Anglicans universally reject the dogma Co-Redemptrix, and any interpretation of the role of Mary that obscures the unique mediation of Christ.
  • Anglicans believe that all doctrines concerning Mary must be linked with the doctrines of Christ and the Church.
  • Anglicans believe that the Roman Catholic dogmas of the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption, since there is no clear reference in Scripture to support them, are considered as beliefs or legends. But the recent ARCIC-II statement on the Virgin Mary assigns a place for both the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption as Anglican devotions.
  • Anglicans recognize Mary as a model of holiness, faith and obedience for all Christians; and that Mary can be seen as a prophetic figure of the Church. As such she is considered to be the most important person within the Communion of Saints, and many Anglicans pray to her.
  • The Anglican Communion observes all the traditional Marian festivals of the ancient Catholic Church.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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