This Curricula: Mariology provides an outline of the major aspects of the Church's understanding of The Blessed Virgin Mary. Mariology, or the doctrine of the Mother of God, cannot be separated either from the person or from the work of the Redeemer and therefore has the deepest connection with both Christology and Soteriology. Here we examine not only her special role in the Incarnation, but also subsequent developments in the Church's understanding.

NOTE: This is not an article from the Catholic Encyclopedia. It is provided here for the benefit of those interested in pursuing additional studies in this area.

Contents 1 I. Mary, The Blessed Virgin 1.1 A. Mary's Unique Role 1.2 B. Veneration 2 II. Immaculate Conception 2.1 A. Doctrine 2.2 B. Feast Day 2.3 C. Art 2.3.1 1. Artists 2.3.2 2. Collections 3 III. Virgin Birth 4 IV. Assumption of the Blessed Virgin 4.1 A. Doctrine 4.2 B. Feast of the Assumption 4.3 C. Assumption in Art 4.3.1 1. Artists 4.3.2 2. Illustrations 4.4 C. Events 5 V. Apparitions 6 VI. Devotions

I. Mary, The Blessed Virgin

A. Mary's Unique Role

• Mary's name
  • The name in Scripture
• Mary in the Old Testament
  • Prophecies
  • Types and Figures
• Mary in the New Testament
  • Mary in the Gospels
    • Mary before the Birth of Jesus Christ
    • Mary during the Hidden Life of Our Lord
    • Mary during the Public Life of Jesus Christ
    • Mary after our Lord's Resurrection
  • Mary in the Other Books of the New Testament
• Mary in the Early Christian Documents
• Post-Pentecostal Life of Mary
• Early Christian Attitude to the Mother of God

B. Veneration

• Honor
  • Dulia vs. Hyperdulia - Honor given to saints vs. honor give to Mary
  • Latria - worship that is properly God's alone
• Adoration - an act of religion offered to God in acknowledgment of His supreme perfection and dominion
• Christian Worship - Homage paid to God, to Jesus Christ, to His saints, to the beings or even to the objects which have a special relation to God

II. Immaculate Conception

"There is an incongruity in the supposition that the flesh, from which the Flesh of the Son of God was to be formed, should ever have belonged to one who was the slave of that arch-enemy, whose power He came on earth to destroy." -- Frederick G. Holweck, from his article on the "Immaculate Conception"

A. Doctrine

• Doctrinal Statement - In the Constitution "Ineffabilis Deus" of December 8, 1854
  • Definitive Definition
  • Cardinal Cullen - key participant
  • re: Holy Scripture
  • Tradition
  • Comparison to the Conception of John the Baptist
  • Mideveal Controversy
  • Modern Controvery
  • Universal Acceptance before promulgation

• Maria de Agreda
• Albertus Magnus - "De laudibus B. Virginis"
• Alexander VII, Pope - "Sollicitudo omnium Ecclesiarum" defines the true sense of the word "conceptio"
• Louis Allemand - diligent promoter of the Immaculate Conception
• Alva y Astorga - Friar Minor; voluminous writer on theological subjects, generally in defense of the Immaculate Conception
• St. Ambrose
• Andrada de Payva - celebrated Portuguese theologian at Trent; defender of the Immaculate Conception

B. Feast Day

• Feast of the Immaculate Conception

C. Art

1. Artists

• Bartolommeo Carducci - painter in Florence and Spain; known for his "Immaculate Conception" among others
• Juan Carreno de Miranda - painter of the "Immaculate Conception" in the Diocese of Vitoria
• Falco - Spanish painter; "Immaculate Conception" for the Franciscans of San Salvador in Valencia
• Holbein - German painter; especially known for Marian works
• Montanes - Spanish sculptor; life-size "Immaculate Conception" at the cathedral of Seville
• Karl Muller - German painter; beautiful devotional paintings of Mary
• Murillo - Spanish painter; extensive treatment of the "Immaculate Conception"
  • Immaculate Conception by Murillo
• Reni - Italian painter
• Ribera - Spanish painter; "Immaculate Conception" for the Ursulines of Salamanca

2. Collections

• at the Vatican

III. Virgin Birth

• In Catholic Theology
• Doctrinal Sources
• Early Documents
  • in Apostles Creed
  • Tertullian

• In Modern Theology
  • Integrity of the Gospel Text
  • Non-historical Source of the Virgin Birth

• Heretical Views
  • Socinianism - Christ was miraculously begotten, but as a perfect man. He was not God, only deified man.
  • Unitarianism - denies the miraculous birth of Christ and refuses Him adoration

IV. Assumption of the Blessed Virgin

A. Doctrine

• Assumption of the Blessed Virgin
• Belief in the Assumption
• Date of the Assumption
• John Damascene
• Transius Mariae - Falling asleep of Mary
  • Apocryphal narrative
  • early Eastern devotion
• Vatican Council
• "De obitu S. Dominae" - earliest known documentary reference
• Curricula:of Moses|of Moses
• Tomb of the BVM

B. Feast of the Assumption

• Feast of the Assumption - August 15
  • in the early Middle Ages
• in the Anglican church 2-6b 13-92a
• in the Anglo-Saxon church 4-173b
• antiphons
• in Bobbio missal
• in Byzantine rite 4-315c
• in ancient calendars 3-163a
• in Canada 1-70b
• in Coptic liturgy 16-28d
• in Franciscan, crown 4-540b
• in Ethiopian church 5-570d
• in gallican rite 6-360a
• in greek church 1-70d 6-769c
• as holy day 14-342d
• indulgence 7-788d
• during interdict 8-4c
• and Divine maternity 14-585b
• novena 11-143d
• Local observances 2-6d
• Octave
• Origin
• 15-461b
• in Paris 11-489d
• in Russian church 1-71c
• in Rome
• Second Assumption
• Vigil - Eve of a Feast
• in St. Willibrord's calendar 15-462b

C. Assumption in Art

4-54c

1. Artists

• Fra Angelico
• Bonvicino
• Borgognone
• Brumidi
• Cignani
• Denis
• Ferrari
• Ghirlandajo
• Moroni
• Reubens
• Del Sarto
• Solari
• Titian
• Torbido - Veronese painter and engraver; in the Cathedral of Verona
• Vanni - Painter
• Vecchietta - Painter, sculptor, goldsmith, and architect
• Veit

2. Illustrations

C. Events

Annunciation

V. Apparitions

• Guadalupe
• Lourdes

VI. Devotions

• Down to the Council of Nicaea
• The Age of the Fathers
• The Early Middle Ages
• The Later Middle Ages
• Modern Times