The Fate of the Marian Dogmas of the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption in the Ecumenical Debate

Abstract

This article examines the two Marian dogmas of the Immaculate Concep-tion and the Assumption as considered in the current ecumenical debate. It is an attempt to re-examine the present status of the Marian doctrine and devotion in various Christian Churches and how the role and place of Mary in the divine plan of salvation should be proposed today. Included in the proposals is that extreme positions with regard to the doctrine and devotion to Mary do not have any spiritual benefits for the churches, but rather tend to obscure the central role that Mary holds in the divine plan of salvation.