--- "Rev. Dr. Derrick Hassert"
<cranmerandlaud@...> wrote:

> I read somewhere that the official teaching of Rome
> is that she did die, but the art popular piety seems
> to promote the belief that she did not. Our organist
> took a trip to Greece and they toured some of the
> churches--the Roman Catholics were scandalized by a
> mosaic that depicted the Blessed Virgin in repose
> before the Apostles.
>    
>   DH+
----------------------------------------------

Derrick+

Quite so.  Popular piety, like some of the allegorical
interpretations of Scripture by the early fathers has
been a thorn in the side of theologians on both sides
of the Reformation whether Protestant or Catholic.  

There is no accounting for what enthusiastic people
will do. Here is an Anglican counter part of the the
popular piety to which you refer.

I was both encouraged and chagrined Sunday by one of
the elder statesmen at the Church I serve who
suggested we have a Bible study in which everyone gets
in a circle and discusses "what this passage of
Scripture means to me."  While I promote Bible studies
and prayer meetings both in the home and at church,
and was encouraged that someone wanted to study,  the
"what does it mean to you" approach implies that there
is no certain meaning to be found in Scripture.  The
method implies the texts can have a variety of
meanings, rather like looking at modern art.  

Charles+