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Tag: Immaculate Conception

  • Leo I and Gregory I vs. the Immaculate Conception

    In an earlier post (link), I provided evidence that the teachings of Leo I aka Leo the Great and Gregory I aka Gregory the Great at least implicitly contradict the modern dogma of the immaculate conception. Luigi Gambero’s “Mary and the Fathers of the Church” has a section on Leo I (pp. 302-09) and a…

  • Thomas Aquinas' Fictional Adoption of the Immaculate Conception

    It ought to be well-known that Rome’s dogma of the Immaculate Conception was denied by her leading medieval saint, Thomas Aquinas (as outlined here). This has been something of a thorn in the side of those contending that Mary was immaculately conceived. They have tried to explain Aquinas’ position away in various ways – such…

  • Observe the Similarities: Luther 1540 – Luther 1544

    Reading through James Swan’s latest quotations from Luther (contra the Immaculate Conception), one particular line caught my eye: But in the moment of the Virgin’s conception the Holy Spirit purged and sanctified the sinful mass and wiped out the poison of the devil and death, which is sin. This reminded me of a similar line…

  • Immaculate Conception in Later Luther?

    Over at the Beggars All Reformation blog, in the comment box, a Roman Catholic layman had posted several quotations from Luther allegedly showing that Luther held to the Immaculate Conception later in his life: 1540: “In his conception all of Mary’s flesh and blood was purified so that nothing sinful remained . . . Each…

  • Thomas Aquinas (and the Fathers of the Church) on Mary's non-Immaculate Conception

    Thomas Aquinas did not believe that Mary’s conception was immaculate. In fact he was quite clear about the matter in his Compendium of Theology: As appears from the foregoing exposition, the Blessed Virgin Mary became the mother of God’s Son by conceiving of the Holy Spirit. Therefore it was fitting that she should be adorned…

  • In Whom Do You Trust? Through Whom Does your Salvation Come?

    Christians are those who follow Christ, who have faith in Christ for salvation. They ascribe to him power and glory, which they do not ascribe to any creature. They have one mediator, as it is written: 1 Timothy 2:5-6For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who…

  • Why Do Roman Catholics Think that Mary Didn't Have Pain During Childbirth?

    One belief that is common in Roman Catholicism today is that Jesus was born without Mary suffering any pain. While sometimes Roman Catholics think that this fits with the concept of Mary being immaculately conceived, when we examine this doctrine prior to the acceptance of the view of Mary’s immaculate conception, we see some slightly…

  • Gregory of Nyssa on Sinlessness: Only Jesus Sinless

    Some folks like to paint Gregory of Nyssa as though he were a Roman Catholic. Certainly, of course, there are points where his theology contains errors. His beliefs would not have squared with the Westminster Confession of Faith in every respect. So, to be clear, Gregory of Nyssa was neither a “Roman Catholic” nor a…