Reading Eric Lafferty's Approaching the Assumption, 1863-1950

Eric Lafferty’s recently published book, Approaching the Assumption 1863–1950: Revelation, Scripture, and the Laity in the Development of a Marian Dogma, investigates the Assumptionist movement as a case study for the development of doctrine. It is a published version of Lafferty’s dissertation that he completed at Duquesne University in 2021 under the guidance of Dr. Kenneth Parker.

The book is divided into six chapters, along with a preface, introduction, conclusion, bibliography, and index. Each chapter contains references to many primary sources, some of which have been translated into English for the first time.

Newman scholars will be particularly interested in this book for its coverage of doctrinal development, and some will be interested in his exploration of Mariological and epistemological themes as well. Lafferty’s combined study of the history and diverse theological scholarship of the movement make this book a unique and comprehensive text for understanding this significant event in the life of the church.

Lafferty analyzes three major components of the movement: 1) theological scholarship on revelation, 2) scriptural evidence, and 3) the contributions of the laity. His exploration of the cooperation between the laity and church hierarchy during the Assumptionist movement offers insight into Catholic life and theology in the time between the First and Second Vatican Councils and, as Lafferty argues, supports the church’s claim of doctrinal continuity after the Second Vatican Council. Lafferty’s comprehensive historical overview reveals parallels between the events preceding the declaration of the Assumption and those of previous Marian dogmas.

Lafferty begins his study of the Assumptionist movement in the year 1863 for two reasons: 1) Queen Isabel II of Spain formally petitioned for a definition of the Assumption on 27 December 1863, and 2) Remigio Buselli published the first extended theological treatise on the definability of the Assumption.

Chapter 1, “Marian Dogma Prior to the Assumption,” provides a historical account of the three Marian dogmas preceding the Assumption: 1) Mother of God, 2) Ever-Virgin, and 3) the Immaculate Conception. In this chapter, Lafferty shows that like the Assumption, each previous dogma has a unique history, coming from controversy, devotion, and a deeper understanding of God’s revelations. He argues that knowledge of previous Marian dogmas and their histories demonstrate the church’s interest in Marian teaching and establishes the declaration of the Assumption as a significant event in church history.

Chapter 2, “The Assumptionist Movement (1863–1950),” is a chronological overview of the origins, history, and works of this global movement which involved cooperation between the laity, theologians, and the church hierarchy. It stands out from other contemporary works on this topic for its focus on the efforts leading to the dogmatic definition in addition to analyzing the origins of the belief. Newman scholars will be interested in this chapter’s references to the sensus fideum, doctrinal development, and the First Vatican Council. Lafferty’s summary of the Assumptionist movement in this chapter provides context for the following three chapters of the book, which examine specific theological topics from the height of the Assumptionist movement (1 May 1946–1 November 1960).

Chapter 3, “Arguing Definability,” explains the numerous methods that theologians have used to address the theological difficulty of defining the Assumption as dogma. The chapter begins with an explanation of the issue of definability and provides a detailed account of Joseph Coppens’s historical critique. Lafferty then recreates discourses of the Assumptionist movement by comparing the different theological methods used by prominent scholars like Réginald Garrigou-Lagrange, Juniper Carol, Carlo Balić, and Gérard Philips to define the Assumption. Some of those methods Lafferty discusses include: 1) formally implicitly revealed truth, 2) virtually revealed truth, and 3) truth emerging from the convergence of probabilities. His inclusion of both positive and negative viewpoints creates a well-rounded narrative of the complex debates surrounding the Assumption’s definability as dogma. Readers will benefit from the examples that Lafferty provides for each of the three positions when recreating the discourse.

Chapter 4, “The Assumption in Scripture,” examines the methods used by biblical scholars to define the Assumption. The chapter begins by framing the biblical scholarship of the Assumptionist movement within the greater context of Catholic biblical studies from the late nineteenth to early twentieth century. Several important events are highlighted, including: 1) the Modernist controversy, 2) the publication of Benedict XV’s encyclical Spiritus Paraclitus (1920), 3) the publication of Pius XII’s 1943 encyclical Divino Afflante Spiritu (1943), and 4) the Catholic Ressourcement movement. Lafferty’s comparisons of the work of biblical scholars such as José María Bover, Luigi Gonzaga de Fonesca, Adrien-Marie Malo, Léandre Poirier, and Fulbert Cayré demonstrate how relationships between biblical scholarship, magisterial teaching on biblical interpretation, and exegetical trends of the time were related. This chapter builds upon Lafferty’s discussions of doctrinal development and emphasizes the combined importance of scripture and tradition in defining the dogma of Mary’s Assumption.

Chapter 5, “The Role of the Laity,” provides historical and theological background on the laity’s relationship to doctrine, explores the laity’s contributions to the Assumptionist movement, and offers theological reflections on those contributions. Lafferty begins the chapter with John Henry Newman and Charles Journet’s ideas about the unique role the laity has in doctrinal development, which challenges the historical notion of the divide between the teaching and learning church. Aspects of the laity’s actions during the Assumptionist movement are divided into three categories 1) petitions sent to the Holy See, 2) prayer and devotion, and 3) unity with the hierarchy. This analysis in conjunction with Lafferty’s review of major events during the Assumptionist movement pair well with the larger historical overview presented in chapter 2. Lafferty concludes this chapter with a comparison of the ideas of three Assumptionist movement theologians—Emanuele Chiettini, Émile Neubert, and Carlo Balić—with Newman. This chapter’s coverage of the activities of the laity paired with historical and contemporary theology helps readers understand the theological significance of the Assumptionist movement beyond the definition of a new dogma.

Chapter 6, “Vatican II in Continuity with the Assumptionist Movement,” explores how the activities and theology of the Assumptionist movement demonstrate continuity in the reception of revelation in the preconciliar church. Early schemas and later Vatican II ideas about the laity and revelation are explored by examining relevant church documents: De Ecclesia (1962), De Fontibus Revelationis (1962), De Deposito Fidei Pure Custodiendo (1962), Lumen Gentium (1964), and Dei Verbum (1965). This final chapter unifies the book’s study of the Assumptionist movement by connecting it to Vatican II and the life of the church today.

Lafferty concludes his book with three suggestions for future study: 1) further study of the lay activities and theological publications of the Assumptionist movement, 2) tracing Newman’s influence on the movement, and 3) exploring the connections between declarations of Marian dogma and the Vatican Councils. Approaching the Assumption provides a more in depth look at the history and theology of the Assumption compared to previous works in this field by taking a narrower scope and highlighting a variety of relevant theologians. It is an accessible study of the Assumptionist movement that many scholars could benefit from reading. Lafferty’s generous use of footnotes and primary sources provides the reader with many opportunities to increase their depth of knowledge on this topic. It is certainly a worthwhile investment not only for people interested in Marian dogmas, but for those who study the development of doctrine and its applications in the preconciliar church. Lafferty’s book, Approaching the Assumption, is a timely edition to the discourse on doctrinal development which uses the Assumptionist movement as a case study to emphasize the continuity of the Catholic church before and after Vatican II.

Approaching the Assumption 1863–1950: Revelation, Scripture, and the Laity in the Development of a Marian Dogma. By Eric Lafferty (Catholic University of America Press, 2025). Pages: ix + 200. Hardback, $85.00. ISBN: 9780813239446.