by Ken Lentz

Created on: February 22, 2009

The Immaculate Conception, Its Theological Obviousness, and Its Role in Ecumenical Dialogue.

Our lives are full of "ah- hah!" moments, occasions when something just jells for us and a concept that was previously obscure becomes as clear as a blue sky. In our daily lives these instances can lead to a better decision at work or at home. But, when we experience one of these moments in our faith walk, it draws us into a much deeper relationship with God. If we apply the words of the famous 1950's song "To know, know, know him is to love, love, love him" to our relationship between understanding of the Almighty and our ability to return our debt of love to Him we can see even more profoundly the relationship between faith and reason.

Arguably, no dogma underscores and exemplifies man's fallen situation and his potential for relationship with God more than the Immaculate Conception; the understanding that Mary was protected through the merits of Christ from all stain of sin from the moment of her conception. We once walked with God in the cool of the day. Now his majesty is obscure to us due to the effects of the sin of our first parents and our own personal sins. God, however, in his infinite love for us has provided a way for us to return to an even more glorious relationship with him. He accomplished this task himself by becoming a man, but he chose in his infinite wisdom to accomplish this task through a woman.
The Immaculate Conception is initially a difficult concept for many to understand. From the common confusing of the Immaculate Conception with the Virgin Birth to a more significant lack of understanding of the dogma itself, the mainstream Protestant and the pew Catholic have little comprehension of the facts of the dogma or its impact on their personal lives. The goal of this essay is to attempt to lay a foundation for an understanding of the Immaculate Conception that leads to one of the aforementioned "ah-hah" moments for all Christians seeking a better knowledge of and, hence, a deeper love for God. It hopes to accomplish this task by the "Theological Obviousness" of the Immaculate Conception, a term that speaks to the potential of any truth of the faith to bring about such a moment.
In this task we will first explain what is meant in this essay by Theological Obviousness. We will then turn to the dogma itself and lay out the teachings in a manner that will allow someone to see the obviousness of, and subsequently the necessity for, the Church's teachings

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