c. The Link between the Figure of Mary and Imagery of the Divine
Development of the study of Marian tradition moves from time to time. It is signaled from many kinds of title given to Mother Mary such as Our All Holy,
Immaculate, Most Blessed and Glorified Lady, Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary. Every title has certain history to picture Mother Mary. It is the same as well
as the figure of Mary and imager y of The Divine. Johnson‟s theory 1989: 31 on
Mary and the Image of God as quoted in Donnelly‟s Mary, Woman of Nazareth
Biblical and Theological Perspectives stated that figure of Mary and imagery of
the divine have morphological similarities between the post-Constantinian eclesial cult of Mary and the cult of the great mother in the Mediterranean world
where Christianity was moving. In other words, between Catholic faith and the mystery of cults give an evidence that there is a process of adaptation and deeper
understanding in figuring Mary and imagery of The Divine. This symbolism opens the female representation of God.
Related to the process of assimilation between Mary and the female representation of God, Elizabeth Johnson as quoted in
Donnelly‟s Mary, Woman of Nazareth Biblical and Theological Perspectives
that Places in nature where female deities had been honored with pilgrimage
and prayer became associated with Mary: grottoes, springs, promontories, mountains, lakes, woods. Shrines and temples to the goddess were
rededicated to Mary the mother of God, outstanding examples being found in Rome, Athens, Chartres, and Ephesus Johnson, 1989: 32.
The statement above shows that pilgrimage and prayer search for some places in nature where they can communicate or pray to Mother Mary. Grottoes, springs,
promontories, mountain and lake become a place where female deities are respected, in this case those places are associated with Mother Mary.
The appearance of Mother Mary produces a phenomenon in Chatolic Church which has strong mainline of patriarchy. The Marian tradition has broken
the structure of Bibilical and traditional faith which over-masculinized. Therefore, people search for female metaphore who has an image of The Divine. It is stated
in Johnson‟s statement as quoted in Donnelly‟s Mary, Woman of Nazareth Biblical and Theological Perspectives
below. The theological distortions of the period were very real, yet the
phenomenon offers another interpretive principle for our inquiry: especially where the Marian tradition breaks the boundaries of the
structure of biblical and traditional faith, there one can look for a source of female metaphores for the ultimate saving mystery of the divine, created
by a dynamic of compensation for an over-masculinized and harsh, i.e. deficient patriarchal concept of God Johnson, 1989: 37.
Further, Edward Schillebeeckx‟s statement as quoted in Donnelly‟s Mary, Woman of Nazareth Biblical and Theological Perspectives
also gives his strong reason about the relationship between figure of Mary and The Divine. He states
that Mary is the translation and effective expression in maternal terms of God‟s mercy and grace. The feminine and maternal aspect of divine love needs
expression through the figure of a woman Donnelly, 1989: 37-38. From Schillebeeckx‟s theory, it can be noticed that Mother Mary has a maternal aspect
of divine love which cannot be pictured through God in masculine dimension.
Kategori