The relevance of an anthropological-biblical approach in contemporary mariology

Abstract

It often happens that when we try to assess the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Salvific Mission of her Son, we omit Biblical sources and base our information mostly upon less reliable ones such as the numerous apocryphal writings that are fantastic in tenor and unknown in origin. Eventually, we misinterpret the real role of Mary in the Economy of Salvation and create a devotion that is rich in sentiment but very shallow from a theological viewpoint. Undoubtedly, the image of the Blessed Virgin has suffered greatly from such an approach since Mary became less and less human and a stranger to our world. In this essay I intend to show that the contemporary renewed interest in an anthropologic-biblical image of Mary, which is indeed the image adopted by the Second Vatican Council, does not only help us to assess her authentic role in God's plan of Salvation, under the New Dispensation, but also to assert her solidarity with man- kind-in-need-of-redemption, her unique place in the Mystery of Christ which is also the Mystery of Israel and of the Church. Furthermore, in this process there will eventually emerge her relations with Christians in their daily committment.