Even some pious Christians have turned from accepting
Christians have turned away from accepting the historical truth of the Dormition
solely due to our first written evidence of it being dated late. Yet it’s worth
noting that late does not necessarily mean false. . . . The Trinity is an
obvious example where late does not necessarily mean false. The Nicene Trinity
(the Persons are consubstantial and co-eternal with one another) was not what
Paul explicitly taught, nor was it explicitly expressed anywhere in the
gospels. A trinitarian-like doctrine is taught, but this is far from mature,
reeks of so-called subordinationism, and only grew into the dogmatic definition
we have today by means of the Holy Spirit working through the Fathers and later
the councils.
For a secular case, take a text like Lives.
Plutarch wrote over forty biographies about figures who lived hundreds of years
before him, and yet we still view him as one of the main sources for several of
these, such as Dion, Pelopidas, and even Cleomenes. Many of the other
biographies we do not discount, far from it, but we don’t think he gets all the
facts right concerning them. We prefer modern sources that can engage more with
archaeological and textual evidence.
A similar and more relevant point can be made about the
traditions presented in the Acts of Thomas, a late second-century or
early third-century text that discusses the apostle St Thomas’s journey to and martyrdom
in India. The journey was conducted around 50 CE (there was also very likely an
earlier one that began in 40 CE), and his martyrdom occurred around 72 CE.
Although the most ancient Church in India found so far only dates to the late
first century, the pre-existing traditions that form this text give reason to
think Christianity landed on India’s shores, likely from Alexandria, Egypt, in
less than two decades following the death of Christ. While critical scholars
are wary about this text, there is solid archaeological evidence that makes a
plausible case for the core of it being grounded in historical fact as well as
there being an ancient community of St Thomas Christians who have maintained
with perfect consistency to this day that Thomas established their community in
the first century.
. . .
All this is not to say that we have historical certainty of
the Dormition. I take it as a matter of faith more than anything, but arguments
that point out how late the earliest extant writings of it are, do not refute
the argument, nor are they very convincing. Hence, in accordance with some of
the earliest accounts of the conditions surrounding Mary’s Dormition, as well
as later inspired tradition, she is the first human to reach the state completely
beyond death and flesh, but she will not be the last. (Hunter Coates, Grace
Abounds: A Holistic Case for Universal Salvation [Eugene, Oreg.: Resource
Publications, 2024], 43-44, 45)
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