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ObjectivesAim The purpose of this module is to enable participants to reflect on the nature of the Church and its mission in the world today.
Learning Outcomes Participants should: • be familiar with the Vatican II teaching on the Church • be aware of the variety of roles in the Church of today • recognise the relationship of the Church to the world as one of service • appreciate the relationship between the Catholic Church and other faiths • be able to communicate what they have learned from an adult stance.
Syllabus Outline • The meaning and significance of the term Church, as used in the earliest days and developed in later practice • The significance and practical implications of the ecclesiology of Vatican II • The mission of the Church in the world today • The relationship between the Catholic Church and other denominations • The relationship of the Catholic Church to other faiths.
Outline of Module
• Models of Church• The Church in History• Mary and the Church
• Mission & Evangelisation• Roles in the Church• Ecumenism & Interfaith
Week One Week Two
The Church
Scripture - NT
Sacraments
Morality
Scripture - OT
Jesus Christ
How do YOU see the Church?Choose SIX of these words which you think say something about the Church. (Feel free to add a word of your own which isn’t on this list. )Write down each word on a separate post-it note.
EucharistPrayerMinistryPropheticEvangelisationConfessionPoorCaringStructuresPopeCommunityHierarchySaving SoulsSunday ObligationPower
FellowshipStabilityAuthorityChallengeRulesWorshipPeopleCeremonyBishopsMissionJustice and PeacePriestsFamilyMoneyHope
CommitmentMarriageUnityTraditionSacramentsServiceCo-ResponsibilityParticipationCelibacyGospel ValuesCommandmentsPilgrimagesEveryday LifeOut of TouchKingdom values
Models of Church
The Church as Institution
The Church as Institution• Visible structures• Church always needed a structural element• Procedures and Law important• Doctrine must be believed• Hierarchical
Advantages : • Links with the past. Insists strongly on continuity
with origins• Identity –important when under threat Disadvantages• Little basis in Scripture or early Christian tradition• Even appears contrary to Jesus of the gospels• Laity reduced to passive or subordinate role• May not allow for action of the Holy Spirit• Out of place with the demands of the times.
The Church as Mystical Communion
The Church as Mystical Communion
• Fellowship of women and men with God and with each other
• Horizontal (with others)and Vertical (with God)• Body of Christ, People of God• Unite with Christ and with each other• Strong element of the work of the Holy Spirit Advantages• Better Biblical basis• Ecumenically fruitful• Support from Augustine AND Aquinas• By stressing relationship helps life of prayer• Great appeal today Disadvantages• Struggles to reconcile visible, structural nature of
the Church to the Body of Christ concept.
The Church as Sacrament
The Church as Sacrament• Divine and human in Church cannot be separated
Church makes Christ present to the world • Therefore it is an “outward sign of inwards grace”• External (visible church) & Internal ( grace and
presence of Christ) both essential • Not just a sign pointing to Christ but a symbol – • Grace of Christ within it achieves historicity• Church is present wherever God is at work Advantages• Allows for Grace beyond visible Church• Relates to World –dialogues and ecumenism• Holds together Institution & Communion images• Theologically fruitful Disadvantages• Abstract and conceptual - difficult to explain!• Little response in Protestant thought.
The Church as Herald
The Church as Herald• Church gathered and formed by the Word of God
must be proclaimed and believed• Centred on Jesus and on Bible as witness to Him.• Task is to proclaim to whole world• When & where Christian proclaims, there is the
Church – not dependent on worldwide structure Advantages• Strong missionary bias• Good Biblical foundation• Rich theology of the Word • Disadvantages• Bible can become more important than the Word
(i.e. Jesus) which it proclaims. Word made flesh (incarnation). Danger of semi-Docetism
• Too much emphasis on witness ; not enough on action engaged with the World
The Church as Servant
The Church as Servant• Church part of the human family (not against it)• Can and must learn from secular world. • By active service of others the Church announces
the coming of the Kingdom.• Not just to improve the world but to summon it
to belief in Christ Advantages• To help all, not just church members• Outward looking –dialogue with the World• Practical sense of mission – “field hospital”• Christological basis Disadvantages• Social focus can miss need for spiritual
dimension “just another NGO”• Risk of “Prosperity Ethic” or politicizing. • Can be opposed to witness• Danger of Pelagianism – we can build the
kingdom by our own efforts.
Mission and Communion
COMMUNION MISSIONMystical
Communion
Sacrament
Herald
ServantCommunity of Disciples
Institution
Your image of the Church?
You scored as Sacrament model
Your model of the church is Sacrament. • The church is the effective sign of the revelation
that is the person of Jesus Christ. • Christians are transformed by Christ and then
become a beacon of Christ wherever they go. • This model has a remarkable capacity for
integrating other models of the church.
Sacrament model 89%Mystical Communion Model 78%Herald Model 72%Servant Model 67%Institutional Model 17%
http://quizfarm.com/quizzes/Fashion/McBrien/what-is-your-model-of-the-church-dulles/
Mary - Model of the Church?
Sacrament of Jesus Christ
living Gospelfaithful virgin
Immaculate
surrounded by angels
Garden Enclosed
Sealed Fountain
Hidden Treasure
Tower of David
House of GoldBlessed EarthSanctuary of the Paraclete
Throne of God
Mystical VineGate of the East Treasure of the Whole World
Never-Extinguished Light
Crown of Virginity
Sceptre of Orthodoxy
New Heaven & New Earth
Dawn heralding salvation
Mirror and Model of the Church
Co-Operation with God’s plan “God-bearer”- bringing Christ to
birth
Mother & Beloved Disciple Suffering and obedient
Gathering in prayer Filled with the Spirit – bringing
the Church to birth
Inaugurated Eschatology Anticipation of Heaven
My soul magnifies the LordAnd my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;
Because he has regarded the lowliness of his handmaid;
For behold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed;
Because he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name;And his mercy is from generation to generation
on those who fear him.He has shown might with his arm,
He has scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He has put down the mighty from their thrones,
and has exalted the lowly.He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.He has given help to Israel, his servant, mindful
of his mercyEven as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham
and to his posterity forever
The Church in History:Where we come from
Blessed John XXIII and the Council
• Aggiornamento– “bringing up to date”
• Ressourcement – “return to the sources”
“The deposit of faith is one thing; the manner in which these truths are set forth is something else”
Historical Paradigms EARLY CHURCH
New Testament – Jewish apocalyptic Church Fathers - Hellenistic
DEVELOPMENT Medieval - Roman Catholic Reformation – Protestant evangelical
MODERN PERIOD Modernity – reason and progress Postmodernity – ecumenical
NT• Body, Vine,
People of God• Jewish/ Gentile• Kerygma• Holy Spirit• Diversity
Patristic• Communion• Greek /Roman• Unity and
orthodoxy• Synodal, Collegial
Medieval• Temporal• Power of the Keys• Heaven & Hell• Centralised &
hierarchical• Juridical
Reformation• Catholic Ark• Protestant pure
Gospel• Confrontation• Popular piety and
mysticism
Modern• New Movements• Anti-modernist• Papal Infallibility• Missions• Body of Christ• Social Action
Vatican 2•“People of God” – beyond boundaries of Catholic Church•Loving Service to the World•Laity essential, All participate in liturgy, •Church can and must constantly “re-form” to the Gospel
“Reform of the church- is such a thing possible?”
Vatican 2 on The Church
Biblical and Patristic Images recovered
“Church of Christ “subsists in” the visible Catholic Church
Christian Unity seen as major reason for the Council - Separated brothers and sisters, not “opponents” or “heretics”
Mission to the world is one of medicine not severity - and is the responsibility of ALL the baptised
More positive attitude to the World and to other faiths
Reform of the Liturgy
Scripture brought back to central position
Church and Postmodernity
• Globalization• Islam• Virtual Communities• Technology and
Information• Optionality• Pluralism• Suspicion, Distrust, lack
of credibility
• Liberation Theology• Feminist theology• Justice –Church & World• Laity and Ministry• Holy Spirit• Legacy of Vatican 2• Ecumenism• Neo-conservatism
World ChurchD
ialogue
