Mary in the Early Church
The study of the content of the early Christian Church’s faith, and what shape it took, is certainly a matter of historical curiosity. But more than this, such an investigation can shed light on whether the Catholic Church today—and throughout its long history—has essentially maintained the same identity which was present in those early times. What this type of investigation also confirms, by its very endeavor, is that the early Church’s faith is a continual source of renewal. Historical awareness is one of the ways in which we stay in touch with our identity, and therefore one of the ways which enables us to creatively move forward in history without losing it. At first glance, comparing the content of the burgeoning Church’s faith during and after the New Testament period with the current teachings of the contemporary Church—such as papal infallibility, the Immaculate Conception, and the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary—can, at the surface, lead to some perplexi...