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My church calendar shows Saturday, August 15 as the "Feast of the Assumption of Mary." (A) Where can I find the story of Mary's Assumption in the Bible? (B) If it's not in the Bible, how did it come about? (C) Finally what are your thoughts about Mary?
Excellent questions. (A) While you can't find Mary's Assumption recorded in Scripture, Mary's Assumption is one of the four Christian Marian Dogma's. These four dogmas are (1) Mary's Divine Motherhood, (2) Mary's Perpetual Virginity (3) Mary's Immaculate Conception (not to be confused with the doctrine of Jesus's Virgin birth) and (4) Mary's Assumption into Heaven. Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox theology hold to all four of these Marian Dogmas while Protestant theology holds only to the first two dogmas, rejecting the last two because they lack "explicit” biblical grounding. Although mariologists would claim that all four dogmas find their "interpretation” in Scripture, their promulgation was post-biblical and, in the case of the last two dogmas, centuries passed before they were defined.
(B) Between 1854 and 1954 Mary's importance in Roman Catholic thought and life grew almost uncontrollably and may rightfully be called the Marian Century. The period began with the definition of the third dogma, The Immaculate Conception (that Mary was herself conceived miraculously free of original sin). It ended just after the definition of the fourth dogma, The Glorious Bodily Assumption of Mary into heaven (that Mary was translated into heaven in a glorious body and was seated next to Christ where she interceded for believers who prayed to her), with the Marian Year of 1954. During this period the number of new institutions, associations, congresses, study societies and centers, libraries, writings, pilgrimages, apparitions and increased Marian piety at the papal level all testified to the remarkable growth in Marian devotion.
Vatican Council I (1869-1870) had disappointed hopes of many Catholics that the Glorious Bodily Assumption would be dogmatized. Pope Pius IX (1846-1878), though aware of the relationship between the doctrines of the Immaculate Conception and the Doctrine of the Glorious Bodily Assumption, felt he was not the proper instrument for the promulgation of the fourth Marian dogma. Nor were the popes who followed prepared to face this declaration. The tide began to change when Pope Pius XI (1922-1939) encouraged "assumptionists" by proclaiming Mary as patroness of France under the title of, "Our Lady of the Assumption."
Between 1863 and 1920, over 1,615,000 signatures arrived in Rome; and between 1921 and 1940 another 6,471,000 plus, signatures were submitted to Rome calling for the pronouncement of the Glorious Bodily Assumption of Mary as dogma. To many it seemed obvious that since so many of the rank-and-file Roman Catholics already believed in Mary's bodily assumption, it was only natural that the Roman Catholic Church would define this tenet as dogma. However, Roman Catholic Church officials realized that a certain degree of Marian sentiment was ill founded, so they were determined to scrutinize all arguments in favor of a doctrinal decision. To yield to public opinion would mean exchanging cause for effect; that is, the people believe it, so it must already be true. This lack of scriptural basis and cogent theological reasoning for the doctrine had already provoked opposition within the Roman Catholic Church, and would become a rallying point for non-Roman Catholics who were already antagonized by the 1854 dogma of the Immaculate Conception.
Lacking scriptural bases for arguing that the Glorious Bodily Assumption was a revealed truth, but wanting a scientific, objective basis for their decisions, Catholic theologians appealed to a theological conclusion drawn from consideration of already accepted dogmas. Finally in 1949 a key Roman Catholic scholar (Giuseppe Filograssi) explained that the Roman Catholic Church, when considering an article of faith, proceeded in a way totally different from human reasoning or scientific theology. It decided purely according to its own inspired judgment and in keeping with its authority. According to the situation, whether it be to counter heresy or to confirm authoritatively a universally recognized truth, the Roman Catholic Church could act in various ways to determine what was dogma and what was not. Even those opposed to defining the Glorious Bodily Assumption as dogma still believed it was true. Thus it was held that Mary's Assumption became clear in light of the universal awareness given by the Holy Spirit. (For Protestant theologians this raises the question whether dogmatic conclusions are to be based on infallible source of revelation, or on infallible perception of revelation?)
Pope Pius XII (1939-1958) sought widespread approval from all sectors of the Roman Catholic Church. An analysis of 3,018 petitions, showed 96 percent favorable to definition of the Glorious Bodily Assumption as dogma. A consistory of bishops on October 30, 1950, a substantial but not a unanimous vote that indicated a consensus. On the next day, the Feast of All Saints Day Pius XII announced, declared, and defined that, "Mary, immaculately conceived by God and ever virgin, when the course of her earthly life had been finished had been taken up in body and soul to heavenly glory." Thirty-eight cardinals signed this papal bull entitled Munificentissimus Deus. Although it was a binding statement of faith, it did NOT contain the solemn threats, or anathemas, found in the statement on the Immaculate Conception against those who disagreed. It also did not specify when Mary ascended and whether or not she died and was resurrected or was assumed directly into God's presence yet in to the best of my readings on this Catholic theology seems to hold to Mary's Assumption rather than her Ascension into heaven. The key theological difference being whether she, of her own (unlike Christ), could ascend to heaven or had to be divinely assumed.
(C) As I've previously noted in these columns I believe we Protestants give too little recognition to Mary. I've often said Mary is more than a shadow on our Christmas cards or a mere figurine in our nativity set. She was the mother of our Lord and Savior and is certainly worthy of more study. On the other hand I believe my Roman Catholic friends have gone too far in the "veneration” they give to her; again noting that they DO NOT worship Mary – as unfortunately many Protestants think. There is a huge difference in the Roman Catholic Latin terms "hyperdulia” (the elevated level of veneration reserved strictly for the Virgin Mary) and "latria” (the supreme adoration and worship that is directed solely to our triune God ) – and we Protestants need to appreciate the difference.