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Mary—Yesterday and Today

By James R. Koelsch, Doctoral Student

What happened to Marian theology and devotion? 

Much has happened since the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, and Marian theology and spirituality have evolved to reflect those developments. Consequently, scholars at the International Marian Research Institute (IMRI) have been busy taking stock of the developments and looking for opportunities for advancing research in Marian studies. They will be presenting an assessment at the next Marian Forum, which will take place at the University of Dayton between 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, April 6.

The Marian Forum is a series of innovative online events designed to take advantage of the Internet’s ability to bring people together from all over the world. People can meet for two hours to hear two or three scholarly talks on a particular theme and participate in a discussion afterward without having to spend the time and money associated with traveling to conferences. The idea is to supplement the big Marian conferences by bringing scholars together more often—just for a couple of hours—in order to foster collegiality, present fresh research, and simulate creativity in the field.

At the next Marian Forum, two of IMRI’s scholars will assess the current state of Marian studies in presentations on the theme of “Mary—Yesterday and Today.” The first presentation will be given by Fr. Thomas Thompson, S.M., the retired longtime director of UD’s Marian Library. Drawing upon his vast knowledge of the post-conciliar period, he will trace the development of Marian theology and spirituality from the Second Vatican Council to the end of the 20th century.

The second presentation will be given by Fr. Johann Roten, S.M., the director of research, art, and special projects at IMRI. Based upon a series of surveys of both people and academic literature, he will present a synthesis of the state of Marian studies as it stands now in the early part of the 21 st century. Then, he will propose ways that research can capitalize on these developments to serve the spiritual needs of Christian peoples around the world.

After the presentations, the speakers will respond to questions and comments from the audience. Attendees may participate online or in-person. Either way, admission is free, but attendees must register by Friday, March 23.

Learn more and register!


Images shown are details of paintings by Holly Schapker, Cincinnati, Ohio. Used with permission.

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