Abstract
The article reinterprets the content of the dogma of the immaculate conception in light of an eschatological portrayal of original sin, the dynamic nature of the holiness of Mary as Daughter Zion, and a theology of redemption based on the wondrous exchange of natures in Christ. Drawing on Irenean anthropology, it is proposed that the immaculate conception confers upon Mary the perfect ‘image’ of God, while the assumption corresponds to her perfect ‘likeness’ to God, for only when Mary is taken up into heaven does she attain to the fullness of ‘objective’ redemption in her son. Since Mary is not exempt from mortality, the eschatological dimension of her life is not fully realized until she dies and shares in her son’s glorious resurrection.
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