Mariology refers to devotion to the Virgin Mary in which religious tradition?

• A. Roman Catholicism
• B. Islam
• C. Hinduism
• D. Buddhism

Answer: (A)

Mariology concerns devotion to the Virgin Mary within Christian theology, with the most developed and systematic presentation found in Roman Catholicism. In Catholic tradition, Mary is honored through specific beliefs, prayers, and practices that shape how believers relate to her—doctrines like the Immaculate Conception, perpetual virginity, and the Assumption, as well as widespread devotional life such as praying the rosary and commemorating Marian feasts. This level of doctrinal development and organized devotion is distinctive to Catholicism. While Mary is respected in other traditions—Maryam in Islam is honored as the mother of Jesus, for example—there isn’t a formal Mariology or a equivalent, centralized devotional framework. Hinduism and Buddhism center their own primary figures and paths of practice, not a Marian devotion. Therefore, Mariology is best understood as a Catholic practice and body of belief centered on Mary.