Abbé René Laurentin (1917-2017) is widely acclaimed as one of the most influential Mariologists of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. However, due to the extent and range of his writings, as well as the controversy surrounding his later writings on apparitions, there has been little academic engagement with his work. This thesis contributes towards addressing this lacuna by considering the question of the relationship between Mary and the Holy Spirit in his writings. For Laurentin, as for the Western church in general, this subject was seldom studied before Vatican II, but has been increasingly reflected upon in recent decades.
A biographical, chronological approach is taken, with each chapter focusing on a particular theme, from the pre-conciliar lack of focus on the relationship between Mary and the Holy Spirit, as evidenced by Laurentin’s doctorates on Marian Priesthood, to the insights he gained from Catholic charismatic renewal, semiotics, and the experiences of an array of seers and mystics, mainly from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Laurentin’s significant contribution to the Marian conciliar debates is demonstrated, as is the connection between the development of his understanding of Mary and the varied historical, cultural, and ecclesial contexts in which he wrote.
Key findings of this research include Laurentin’s use of several titles or analogies to capture something of the ultimately inexpressible relationship between Mary and the Holy Spirit; the turning point of Vatican II; the prominent post-conciliar place given to charisms and to personal relationship; the significance of Laurentin’s character in shaping his works, and the importance of a range of influences, including family members, visionaries, and theologians, particularly Heribert Mühlen, who made a lasting positive impact upon Laurentin, and Raymond E. Brown, with whom he engaged in relentless polemical disputes. While the vast majority of what Laurentin says is far from new, his contribution lies in presenting elements of the Church’s tradition in an accessible and engaging manner.
