Ecclesiology
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In Christian theology, ecclesiology is the study of doctrine pertaining to the Church itself as a community or organic entity, and with the understanding of what the "church" is — ie., its role in salvation, its origin, its relationship to the historical Christ, its discipline, its destiny (see Eschatology) and its leadership. It is, therefore, the study of the Church as a thing in itself, and of the Church's self-understanding of its mission and role.
In addition to describing a broad discipline of theology, ecclesiology may be used in the specific sense of a particular church or denomination’s character, self-described or otherwise. This is the sense of the word in such phrases as Roman Catholic ecclesiology, Lutheran ecclesiology, and ecumenical ecclesiology.
Etymology
Ecclesiology comes from the Greek ἐκκλησία (ekklesia), which entered Latin as ecclesia, and which originally simply meant a gathering or a meeting. It is a compound of the Greek preposition ἐκ (ek), which denotes origin and could be independently translated from, and καλῶ (kalo) - from uncontracted καλέω (kaleo) - meaning to call, so that the compound word means a calling out, and so "a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place" (Thayer's Greek Lexicon). While the term ecclesiology is today closely tied to the Christian Church, its roots are therefore broader.
The Septuagint used ἐκκλησία to translate into Greek the Hebrew word קהל (qâhâl), meaning a congregation, assembly, company or other organized body (Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Definitions). Most Christian theologians do not regard the uses in the Hebrew Scriptures of this word as referring to the Church specifically (in context, they refer to a specific gathering for a particular circumstance), though many of them consider the Jewish people (as "The People of God," a community that understood itself to be defined by a unique covenant with God) to be a foreshadowing, a prototype or a sort of living prophecy of what would one day be the Christian Church.
The Greek word ἐκκλησία is used in its generic sense in Acts 19, once of a regular lawful assembly of the people (verse 39) and twice (verses 32 and 41) of a riotous coming together of the townsfolk.
Overview
Early in its history, the church viewed itself as a spiritual society that replaced Israel as the people of God. The church also saw itself as the repository of true Christian doctrine and teaching.
Ecclesiology was not a major issue in the early church. Issues such as apologetics, the person of Christ, and the canon were more pressing concerns.
The lack of interest in ecclesiology changed after Constantine became the emperor of Rome. Persecution ended and a merger between the church and state began.
From the Medieval era until the Reformation the church was considered the institutional church of the Roman Catholic system. The following beliefs were well accepted: (1) the church is the visible, earthly, external form of the Kingdom of God; (2) the church was viewed as both hierarchical and monarchical in nature; (3) the papacy was viewed as an authoritative and perpetual office; (4) entrance to the church was gained through valid baptism; and (5) the church was necessary for salvation. Within the Roman Catholic Church, this understanding would continue up until the Vatican II Council in 1962.
The Protestant Reformation challenged the traditional understandings of the church including the true marks of the church and authority in the church. From, the marks of the traditional church were: One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic; while for the Reformation, it was: The Word rightly preached and the proper use of the two sacraments - baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Four Great Ecumunical Church Councils
- Nicea (325)—Prompted by Constantine; 318 bishops present; denounced Arius and affirmed the full deity of Jesus Christ.
- Constantinople (381)—Attended by 150 bishops; affirmed the divinity of the Holy Spirit.
- Ephesus (431)—More than 200 bishops attended; presided over by Cyril of Alexandria; defined the personal unity of Christ and declared Mary the Mother of God (theotokos) against Nestorius; also condemned Pelagius.
- Chalcedon (451)—Attended by 150 bishops; defined the two natures in Christ (divine and human) against Eutyches.
- Other important church councils include the Fourth Lateran Council (1215), Council of Trent (1545–63), First Vatican Council (1869–70), and Second Vatican Council (1962–65).
- 313—The Edict of Milan officially ended persecution of Christianity in the Roman Empire.
- 1054—The official date for the East–West schism; Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox split ways.
- 1095—Pope Urban II launched the First Crusade.
- 1378—The Great Papal Schism led to three different popes vying for supremacy; it launched a forty-year crisis of authority.
- 1517—Luther posted his 95 Theses and the Protestant Reformation began.
- 1534—King Henry VIII was declared “the only supreme head on earth of the Church of England” by the English Parliament.
- 1545—The Council of Trent began, responding to the Protestant Reformation; it defined the essence of Roman Catholicism until Vatican II.
- 1948—The World Council of Churches was founded.
- 1962—Vatican II began and brought changes to the Roman Catholic Church; an era of open dialogue with Protestants and people of other faiths was inaugurated.
Issues addressed by ecclesiology
In its dialogue, ecclesiology considers Theology, which includes beliefs about the nature of God. This can include Pneumatology - beliefs about the Holy Spirit, Christology - beliefs about Jesus being the Messiah, and Soteriology -beliefs about how people are saved. Ecclesiology asks the questions:
- Who is the Church? Is it a visible or earthly corporation—a "church" in the sense of a specific denomination or institution, for instance? Or is it the body of all believing Christians regardless of their denominational differences and disunity? What is the relationship between living Christians and departed Christians (the "cloud of witnesses")—do they (those on Earth and those in Heaven) constitute together the Church?
- Must one join a church? That is, what is the role of corporate worship in the spiritual lives of believers? Is it in fact necessary? Can salvation be found outside of formal membership in a given faith community, and what constitutes "membership?" (Baptism? Formal acceptance of a creed? Regular participation?)
- What is the authority of the Christian church? Who gets to interpret the doctrines of the Church? Is the organizational structure itself, either in a single corporate body, or generally within the range of formal church structures, an independent vehicle of revelation or of God's grace? Or is the Church's authority instead dependent on and derivative of a separate and prior divine revelation external to the organization, with individual institutions being "the Church" only to the extent that they teach this message? For example, is the Bible a written part of a wider revelation entrusted to the Church as faith community, and therefore to be interpreted within that context? Or is the Bible the revelation itself, and the Church is to be defined as a group of people claim adherence to it?
- What does the Church do? What are the sacraments, divine ordinances, and liturgies, in the context of the Church, and are they part of the Church's mission to preach the Gospel? What is the comparative emphasis and relationship between worship service, spiritual formation, and mission, and is the Church's role to create disciples of Christ or some other function? Is the Eucharist the defining element of the rest of the sacramental system and the Church itself, or is it secondary to the act of preaching? Is the Church to be understood as the vehicle for salvation, or the salvific presence in the world, or as a community of those already "saved?"
- How should the Church be governed? What was the mission and authority of the Apostles, and is this handed down through the sacraments today? What are the proper methods of choosing clergy such as bishops and priests, and what is their role within the context of the Church? Is an ordained clergy necessary? * Who are the leaders of a church? Must there be a policy-making board of "leaders" within a church and what are the qualifications for this position, and by what process do these members become official, ordained "leaders"? Must leaders and clergy be "ordained," and is this possible only by those who have been ordained by others?
- What are the roles of 'spiritual gifts' in the life of the church?
- How does the Church's New Covenant relate to the covenants expressed in scripture with God's chosen people, the Jewish people?
- What is the ultimate destiny of the Church in Christian eschatology?
External links
- A Study in Church HistoryA look at ecclesiology from an Evangelical perspective with audio and video resources.
- Centre for the Study of Contemporary Ecclesiology at Liverpool Hope University
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
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