Basic Christian Apologetics

Bodily Assumption of Mary

Fact or tradition?

Mary was a Jewish woman from the first century, a remarkable vessel used by God. Given that she gave birth to the Messiah's incarnation, she deserves to be honored. Many dispute Mother Mary's bodily resurrection and assumption, but can this claim be supported by evidence? Find out now.

The Catholic Church very recently adopted the doctrine of Mary's bodily assumption.

"The Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory. If anyone which God forbid should dare willfully to deny or to call into doubt that which we have defined, let him know he has fallen away completely from the divine and catholic faith. It is forbidden to any man to change this, our declaration, pronouncement, and definition, or by a rash attempt to oppose and counter it. If any man should presume to make such an attempt, let him know that he will incur the wrath of Almighty God and of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul."-Pope Pius XII Munificentissimus Deus 1950.

It should be noted that Pope Pius XII just declared this to be infallible dogma last century, making it mandatory for Christians to accept. Beyond this, the dogmas of Mary's role in Roman Catholic theology and piety, in general, are particularly important. Some people point out that even though it was stated late, the assumption of Mary was always considered to be an early church belief.

People frequently misinterpret the scholarship, books can be pricey, it requires individualized study, and some volumes aren't even translated.

In 1950, the bodily assumption was declared, and both Catholics and non-Catholics disagreed with it.

Here are a number of Historians and theologians who claim the bodily resurrection of Mary has no evidence.

"The definition [Bodily resurrection] embarrassed many Catholics theologians, since it was unsupported in scripture and was unknown in the early church." ~ Eamon Duffy (Catholic Historian) Saints and Sinners: A History of the Popes [2nd ed; New Haven: Yale University Press, 2001], 353

"There is no evidence of any tradition concerning Mary's dormition and Assumption from before the 5th century. The only exception to this is Epiphanius' unsuccessful attempt to uncover a tradition of the end of Mary's life toward the end of the fourth century and his failure confirms the otherwise deafening silence." ~Stephen J Shoemaker, The Ancient Traditions of the Virgin Mary's Dormition and Assumption - (Oxford University Press, 2006) 26

"This idea of the bodily assumption of Mary is first expressed in certain transitus- narratives of the fifth and sixth centuries...The first church author to speak of the bodily assumption of Mary, in apocryphal transitus B.M.V is St. Gregory of Tours." ~Ludwig Ott (Catholic Scholar)

Mary's assumption is suddenly discussed between the late fifth and early sixth centuries. There has been a 400-year period of silence over this issue. Some claim that there is early attestation and that it was an oral tradition, but this cannot be supported by evidence, and even the best Catholic theologians reject the evidence.

Epiphanius, a Bishop of Salamis towards the end of the Fourth Century, resided close to Palestine and maintained contacts there. Inquiring into Mary's final days because he believes it to be heretical since there was too much devotion to Mary. It begs the question of the plausibility of why he had to conduct an investigation. If there is an oral tradition why does he have to investigate and not hear about it?

"Either the Holy Virgin died and was buried, then her falling asleep was with honor, her death chaste, her crown that of virginity, or she was killed as it is written 'and your own soul a sword shall pierce,' then her glory is among martyrs and her holy body amid blessings, she through who light rose over the world. Or she remained alive since nothing is impossible with God and He can do whatever He desires, for her end, no one knows." ~Epiphanius Panarion 78.

Note that Epiphanius never mentions a bodily assumption.

Mary's death is discussed in several sections by Augustine, although the bodily assumption is never brought up. He claims that although she is sinless, the original sin was the cause of her death.

"For to speak more briefly, Mary who was of Adam died for sin, Adam died for sin and the flesh of the Lord which was of Mary died to put away sin." - Augustine Exposistions on the Book of Psalms 35.14 in Nicene and Post - Nicene Fathers, vol 8, ed. Philip Schaff (Eerdmans, 1983), 83

Tertullian makes reference to many people, including Enoch, Elijah, and Jesus, but never Mary.

"The primary value of this candid admission [ie apologies for the late appearance of the Dormition traditions]lies in their confirmation of modern scholarship's inability to identify any significant traditions concerning the end of Mary's life from before the fifth century. The Christian writers of late antiquity expect to find very much on this subject from earlier Christian centuries." ~Stephen J Shoemaker, The Ancient Traditions of the Virgin Mary's Dormition and Assumption (Oxford University Press, 2006), 54

The details of the dormition stories from the late nineteenth century vary greatly, including the city of Mary's death, which is sometimes Ephesus and other times Jerusalem. Some stories claim that Mary traveled to Bethlehem and performed miracles there. The apostles are also involved in a dispute between Mary and the Jewish authorities, and Jesus takes Mary's soul and body to heaven.

According to the gospel of Bartholomew, Mary's body was transported to a specific location to await the judgment day reunion of her soul in heaven.

In this text Christ is speaking, "I will place your body under the tree of life, where a cherub with a sword of fire will watch over it, until the day of my kingdom." ~ Gospel of Bartholomew, as cited in Stephen J. Shoemaker, The Ancient Traditions of the Virgin Mary's Dormition and Assumption (Oxford University Press, 2006), 31.

Other texts covey there was a time interval between the burial, resurrection, and assumption into heaven. Thomas will arrive at the tomb late to find it already open and the body is gone.

"It is not until the end of the 6th century that the narrative of Mary's death and entry into the glory seems to have become fixed in its general outline and accepted by all the major churches of the eastern Mediterranean world." ~ Daley, "At the hour of our death," 81.

Many quote Revelation 12 for the bodily resurrection but this has many problems:

♠ The woman gives birth in heaven.

♠This does not prove the bodily resurrection.

♠The woman is not Mary but Israel.

♠Revelation 12:1 parallels Genesis 37:9

♠ The number 1260 days and 2 and half years do not relate to Mary.

♠ "...make war with the rest of her offspring," (Rev 12:17) this verse debunks this.

"Although this exegesis would subsequently become quite popular and has endured even to this day, there is no evidence of this existence before Epiphanius. On the contrary, the early church unanimously identified this apocalyptic woman with the church." ~Stephen J Shoemaker, The Ancient Traditions of the Virgin Mary's Dormition and Assumption (Oxford University Press, 2006), 13.

The bodily assumption of Mary is not supported by any early sources; it took place sometime in the late fifth and early sixth centuries, which is a very long time after the founding of the early church.

Shalom!