ECCLESIOLOGY
Introduction
This paper explores three chapters of the provided book. The paper discuses on the differences and similarities in these chapters. The elements compared and contrasted in the chapters include sacrament, baptism, and trinity, hierarchies in church, spirituality, and organization. Chapter one describes the Eastern Orthodox Ecclesiology, chapter two is about the Roman Catholic Church while Chapter three is about the Lutheran Church. Each of these chapters is described and comparisons are made and the author’s description of ecclesiology is given.
Description of chapter one
Chapter one of the book is about the Eastern Orthodox Ecclesiology. In the Eastern Orthodox Ecclesiology, the church is viewed as an icon of the trinity (pg. 17). The Eastern Orthodox theology is more “spirit sensitive” than its western counterparts. The Eastern Orthodox is guarded by one thought is that it focuses on the primacy of the Father in the doctrine of the Trinity (page 17). According to Tsirpansilis the mindset of the Eastern ecclesiology is “pneumatocentrism” as opposed to Christocentrism of the Roman church and they speak a language separate to the saints and Fathers of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The three persons in the Holy Trinity, the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit share in the activity of each of them.
Another aspect of the Eastern Orthodox Church is that its doctrine of salvation is not focused on guilt but rather focuses on a gradual growth in sanctification which culminates in deification, becoming like God (pg. 18). Eastern theology emphasizes the need for salvation in terms of deliverance from corruption and mortality for life everlasting. The idea of divine-human cooperation in the process of salvation is accepted and enthusiastically cherished and it is not deemed as nullifying the role of grace. For the attainment of this noble goal (salvation), meditation, prayer, asceticism and humble service are recommended. The attitude towards grace and free will is cherished in the East while it is less reserved in the Western counterparts. The Eastern tradition does not separate grace and human freedom, the charge of Pelagianism is unfair. Grace is not a question of merit but of cooperation and synergy of the two wills human and divine.
The Eastern ecclesiology has several characteristics. First, the church is seen as the image of the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The church as the image of Trinity represents the principle of mutuality and identity simultaneously (page 19). At the core of Orthodox theology in general and ecclesiology in particular, is the cosmos. This church is described in cosmological terms. The church is important because all the conditions required for us to unite with God are given in the church. It is also in the church that human beings are restored to their original role as co-creators with God.
At the heart of the Eastern, Orthodox ecclesiology stands the Eucharist which both represents the general principle of sacra mentalism and the sacrament of primacy. Sacramentalism, also common to Western Catholic traditions, means that God’s grace is not only mediated but also experienced through the sacraments of the church. The sacraments are received through faith and also the sacraments can give rise to faith (page 21). The Eucharist also stands at the center of Eastern Orthodox liturgy and worship (pg. 21). The earthly liturgy is a foretaste of heavenly worship when the church is done with its earthly course and the members have reached the fulfillment and have become deified. The function of the church is to partake of the bread and wine at the Eucharist and implies that the church is supposed to bear witness to salvation in Christ not just by telling but also by doing in remembrance of Christ. Thus, the Eucharist acts as a memento for the death and resurrection of Christ. This implies that the church is not just an Assembly of God’s people gathered for Eucharist.
Sobornost is another feature of the Eastern Orthodox which can be used to denote the idea that churches are expressions of unity. The church is deemed to be one. The Orthodox ecclesiology is hierarchical in the sense that the bishop is the representative of the church in guiding the church, equality of members is maintained, and all are equal in honor. Individuality is preserved not extinguished (pg.22).
The other aspect in the Eastern Orthodox Church is the pneumatological ecclesiology which in this church it carries over the church’s doctrines. As the spirit inspires and empowers the deification process, the role of the spirit in the church comes into focus. The eastern pneumatological ecclesiology balances the hierarchy and charisms. The church is not only hierarchical, it is also Pentecostal and charismatic.
Description of Chapter 2
The Roman Catholic Church is the largest Christian body, claiming half of the membership of all Christians (page 26). In the Roman Catholic Church, the Christ is the head and the Holy Spirit is the soul of the church. The limitation of this approach is that it makes the church and its structures absolute while the only task of the spirit is to animate the already existing ecclesiastical apparatus. Also in the Roman Catholic Church is a communion which describes the essence of the community as the complete self-forgetfulness of love. According to Dulles, Catholic ecclesiology of communion stems in the New Testament witness and was never abandoned despite other models towering over it (page 30). The Holy Communion in the church is based on the communion among the members of the Trinity. This is the greatest expression of unity for Christians.
Catholic theology in general and ecclesiology, in particular, are both sacramental. This, therefore, means that the communion is sacramental in nature. In the Roman Catholic, there is baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist as constitutive of the church (page 31). There is also a double relationship between the sacraments and the holy communion of the church. Baptism and Eucharist have a basic role in building the church as communion and they simultaneously provide a structural form for the church. It is the baptism that gives the church its body. At the heart of the Roman Catholic Church, theology is ordination which is seen on the surface of church communion though it is not put on the same level as Eucharist and baptism.
Papal infallibility applies in the Roman Catholic. The pope is considered infallible in relation to morality and religion when he teaches. His power is also universal and exists by virtue of the office it is also immediate meaning that it can be used without any other media. J. Adams Mohler is known to be the originator of the influential view of the church as the continuation of the incarnation of Christ (page 27). Adams stressed the importance of the spirit as the guiding principle of the doctrine of the church.
On the spirit and the structures of the church, Rahner stated that the spirit is constitutive of the church in a way more basic than its institutional structure (page 33). He argues that where there is a one-sided emphasis on Christology, church structures tend to dominate. Rahner also states that the church is primarily the historical concretization of the Charismatic brought about by Christ’s Spirit (pg. 33). Rahner’s view of the Charismatic structure of the church means that there is an openness to the promptings of the spirit. It also means that legitimate plurality results from the sovereign action of the Holy Spirit.
Concerning the catholic vision of Christian unity, the Catholic Church admits that other churches carry with them a saving function and are transmitters of the Holy Spirit.
Similarities/differences of chapter I and 2
From the above descriptions of chapter one and two, the following differences and similarities can be made. First, while Chapter one focuses on the Eastern orthodox ecclesiology in which the church is the icon of the trinity, chapter two focuses on the Roman Catholic Church in which the church is viewed to be the people of God. In the Eastern Orthodox, the church is seen as the image of the Trinity, the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit whereas in the Roman Catholic Church, the Christ is the head and the Holy Spirit is the soul of the church. Unlike the Orthodox, Catholic theology in general and ecclesiology, in particular, are both sacramental. The Eastern Orthodox Church is focused on deification process while the Catholic Church is not. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the church is not only hierarchical, it is also Pentecostal and charismatic whereas in the Roman Catholic Church, the church is only hierarchical but not Pentecostal. The Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Church have a similarity in that in both there are trinity and Eucharist.
The author’s description of ecclesiology in chapter 1 and 2
The author describes the Eastern theology to be more spirit-sensitive. The author also gives an overview of how ecclesiologies were traditionally built. He explains ecclesiologies were built on either of the two classical rules, that is Ignatius of Antioch or of Irenaeus. The Eastern Orthodox Church is founded in two divine economy: the work of the Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit (pg.23).
Description of Chapter 2
Concerning the charisms in the service of the church, the Roman Catholic church through Pope John XX1111declared this getting together of all the bishops of the church should be like a new Pentecost. The Holy Spirit sanctifies and leads the people of God through sacraments and church ministries and also through some special charisms bestowed on all the faithful. Believers can use them not only in church but also in the world for the good of humankind and for up- building the church (pg.34). The clear emphasis on the pneumatic nature of the church including grace and gifts of the Holy Spirit was secured in the council which insisted on the importance of the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts to the future of the Roman church.
In addition, the church according to Roman Catholic is seen as the body of Christ (pg.34) which is ordered, created and sustained by the Charismatic inspirations of the breath of the risen Jesus (pg.35). Each believer is meant to be permeated by Christ because the Holy Spirit pervades the church.
Concerning the ecclesiology of “lumen Gentum” of Vatican 2 in which it’s creative, often tension-filled approach to the ancient doctrine of the church marked a watershed not only in catholic theology but also in ecumenical theology of the church (pg.28). the most important development of Vatican 2 was the replacement of the old institutional-hierarchic ecclesiology with the dynamic people of God notion whereby the church is seen as a pilgrim people on their way to heaven. There is also a chapter on Mary our lady which was attached to the document on the doctrine of the church which was perceived as the best way to honor the First Lady of the church. Unlike the vehementer Nos by pius X in 1906 where the church was described as unequal society with two categories of people (the pastors and the flock), lumen gentium rehabilitates the whole of God as the church.
The catholic vision of Christian unity brought about a new appreciation of other churches and recognize their contribution to Christian testimony. It was admitted that the other churches carried a saving function with them and were transmitters of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The old dogma (outside the church no salvation) no longer applied in the roman church.
Description of Chapter 3
The Lutheran ecclesiology perceives the church as just and sinful. Luther stated and stressed the non-institutional character of the church and instead preferred it to be called an assembly or congregation (pg. 39). He maintained that the church as the communion of saints according to the Apostles Creed is called together by the Holy Spirit. Luther simply defines the church as simply a gathering of believers in which the gospel of Christ is purely preached and the holy sacraments are administered in accord with the gospel (pg.40). The church is however not an institution for supplying blessings as conceived in much of ecclesiological thinking of that time.
Additionally, the Lutheran Reformation had the perception of the church as “something going on in the world”. As such the church is both a hidden community and a visible fellowship (pg.40). It is hidden in the sense that faith is the conviction of the things not seen and visible because of the preaching of the gospel and the administration of sacraments. Also, Luther’s theology is centered on the gospel of Christ, the gospel is not only to be read but also preached.
The gospel does not work alone, Luther adds, it is associated with the sacraments and together they point to and draw from Christ and his salvation. The sacraments and the word (gospel) are the only necessary marks of the church. Everything else including structures, liturgy, and ministry patterns could vary from one church to another within the Lutheran family.
Another doctrine of the Lutheran church is the belief that the church is just and sinful simultaneously. The ecclesiastical purity is not a moral but a functional phenomenon as long as the church is guided by the Holy Spirit and mediated by the gospel and sacrament, it will remain pure. Luther refutes the idea of a “pure church” as Donatism (pg. 42). Consequently, the sacraments are effective even if the priests who administer them are wicked. There is, therefore, no definite way for humans to distinguish between the true followers of Christ and the wicked in the church.
Another aspect of the Lutheran church is the spirit, word, and sacraments whereby according to Luther, the spirit works in the church and in the life of the believer through the preached word and the sacraments. The spirit is indispensable for preparation of faith, Luther adds. This means that the word and spirit work together and the church is not an infallible unchanging institution. The Holy Spirit which is mediated through the sacrament and word sanctifies and makes the believers holy. In this case, Luther limits the phenomenon of the Pentecost in the apostolic era. By this, he means that the Holy Spirit is clothed in the word and sacraments.
Similarities/differences in chapter 2 and 3
Chapter 2 is about the Roman Catholic while chapter 3 touches on the Lutheran ecclesiology. The Roman Catholic Church there is mention of the Trinity while in the Lutheran ecclesiology there is no mention of the Trinity. In the Roman Catholic, the church is presented as the people of God while in the Lutheran church the church is presented as being just and sinful simultaneously. Another difference is that in chapter two there is baptism into the Holy Spirit while in chapter three there is no mention of baptism. Instead, there is a refutation of the Pentecostal fire and wind. Eucharist is an integral function in the Catholic Church but it is insignificant in the Lutheran church. The Lutheran church sacraments and the word (gospel) are the only necessary marks of the church. To the Lutherans, the church is simply a gathering of believers in which the gospel of Christ is purely preached and the holy sacraments are administered in accord with the gospel while in the Roman Catholic Church, the Christ is the head and the Holy Spirit is the soul of the church. The similarity between the Roman Catholic and the Lutheran church is that in both, the Holy Spirit plays an important role in the church.
Author’s description of ecclesiology in Chapter 2 and 3
The author points out criticism by Donald Gelpi who criticizes his own church for failing to take seriously the pneumatological and charismatic teaching of the second Vatican Council (pg. 36). He argues that the responsibility to renew the church is a burden of the whole church with its theologians and teachers and not the Catholic Charismatic Movement. He further adds that the Charisms play an indispensable role in the life of the church. In both doctrines, the Holy Spirit is indispensable.