Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ: The ARCIC Statement Paperback - 2005

From the publisher

Mary, The Blessed Virgin, Our Lady has long been viewed as a stumbling block in the progress towards Christian unity. Determined that this should not and need not be the case, the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) now publishes this book. Written in clear, accessible language here is presented a new theology of Our Lady for all Christians. Much ink and blood has been spent, in articulating theological statements about the Mother of God. Indeed 'Mother of God' is in itself a theological statement. The Papal definitions of The Immaculate Conception (1854) and the Assumption (1950) are considered to exacerbate the impossibility of dialogue. Now all these theological issues are looked at face on and a statement is produced in this book which points to the fact that Christians are far more united in their thinking than they realise. However the remaining differences are also clearly articulated. Devotion to Our Lady has been an essential element in Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches since they were founded. The Protestant Reformation rejected the excesses of such devotion. called Six for Sorrow Six for Joy- a book to encourage the rosary in popular devotion. Throughout the Anglican Communion, devotion to Our Lady grows all the time. Mary indeed has a new prominence in Anglican worship through liturgical renewals of the 20th century.

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