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, 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. The term originally meant simply a gathering or assembly. It is a compound of the Greek preposition ἐκ (ek), which denotes origin, and καλῶ (kalo)—from καλέω (kaleo)—meaning to call, so that the compound word means a calling out, as to a meeting.
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.
The Greek Septuagint version of the Hebrew Bible used ἐκκλησία for the Hebrew word קהל (qâhâl), meaning a congregation, assembly, company, or other organized body. In context, these uses refer to a specific gathering for a particular circumstance. Many Christian theologians see the Jewish people as a prototype of what would one day be the Christian Church. Historically, the early Christianity began as a sect within Judaism and inherited many of the liturgical and organizational features of Jewish synagogues.
Overview
=Earliest church
One of the first ecclesiological issues facing the Christian community had to do with the relations between Jewish and Gentiles believers in Jesus. For several years, virtually all followers of Jesus were Jews. Once Gentiles began to join in large numbers, the question arose as to whether Gentile believers needed to become Jews—specifically by following Jewish ceremonial law and accepting circumcision if they were males—in order to be accepted as members of the community. At the Council of Jerusalem, it was determined that Gentile believers did not need to be circumcised but did need to honor the Jewish commandments against adultery and fornication, not worshiping idols, and certain dietary restrictions: "You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality." (Acts 15:29)
This, however, did not resolve the issue entirely. Paul's letters demonstrate that a faction of the church still insisted on circumcision of new believers. Moreover, other teachers held that Paul's doctrine of freedom from the Jewish law exempted Christians from the moral commandments as well as the ceremonial rules. At Antioch, Paul and Peter had a heated public disagreement over the issue of table fellowship—whether Jewish Christians were allowed to eat at the same table with their Gentile counterparts, a violation of the strict interpretation of Jewish scripture (Galatians 2:11ff). Paul was later arrested in Jerusalem after being commanded by the Jerusalem church to engage in an public purification ceremony according to Jewish law, in order to demonstrate that he himself lives as a Jew and did not teach that Jews should stop observing the Mosaic law (Acts 21:24).
After the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem in 70 C.E., however, the Jerusalem Christian community—which had been the central church of the earliest Christian tradition—was scattered. Christian Judaism gradually lost its influence, Pauline ecclesiology came to the fore, and Christianity came to be an essentially Gentile religion. The Christian community came to view itself as a spiritual society that replaced Israel as the people of God. Another aspect of Pauline ecclesiology is the doctrine of the church as the mystical "body of Christ," predestined from the beginning of time. Other New Testament references refer to the church as Christ's "bride."
Emergence of the episcopacy
From the beginning of the second century, however, such issues as the person of Christ, the Trinity, and the canon were more pressing concerns than ecclesiology per se. The church saw itself as the repository of true Christian doctrine and teaching. However, ecclesiological issues often underlay theological controversies. For example, some communities of Gnostic Christians seem to have allowed female clergy and to deny the doctrine of apostolic succession. Paul himself affirmed that his spiritual experience with Jesus is what made him an apostle rather than any appointment by those who followed Jesus in life. Gnostics insisted that spiritual knowledge, rather than such traditions as the "laying of hands" is what determined one's authority.
Another ecclesiological issue in the early church was the issue of the episcopacy. Early churches, as described in the the Book of Acts and the letters of Paul, included such offices as apostles, teachers, and prophets. Presbyters (elders) and episcopi (overseers/bishops) are also mentioned. The era of the Christian prophet came to an end in the second century as a result of the Montanist controversy. Meanwhile, the "monarchical episcopacy" emerged as a bastion of "apostolic" teaching authority against the threat of heresy. Thus, by the late second century, an ecclesological tradition emerged among the orthodox church in which local communities were governed by a single bishop, often in conjunction with a council of presbyters. The bishop thus became the central authority in whom the office of apostle and teacher were combined, while the office of prophet became obsolete. Also the bishops of the largest Christian communities in the Roman Empire—Rome, Byzantium, Alexandria, Jerusalem, and Antioch—emerged as having particular honor and jurisdiction over smaller bishoprics in their regions. These bishops came to be known as metropolitans or patriarchs.
Later Roman Empire
Ecclesiology became a major issue after Constantine I became the emperor of Rome, legalized Christianity, and gave it a privileged status in the empire. 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.
Eastern Christianity denied the central authority of the Roman bishop, hold that he was the "first among equals" holding greater honor by no greater authority in matters of theology and church law than other metropolitan bishops. East and West also diverged on the issue of the relationship between the church and the state. Rome took the view that the church was spiritually superior to the state and the that emperor must obey the pope on matters of religion. The Eastern Church
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 40-year crisis of authority.
- 1517—Martin 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?
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Karkkainen, Veli-Matti. An Introduction to Ecclesiology: Ecumenical, Historical, and Global Perspectives, InterVarsity Press, 2002. ISBN 978-0830826889
- Mannion, Gerard. Ecclesiology and Postmodernity: Questions for the Church in Our Time, Michael Glazer Books, 2007. ISBN 978-0814652237
- Pelzel, Morris. Ecclesiology: The Church as Communion and Mission, Loyola Press, 2001. ISBN 978-0829417265
- Prusak, Bernard P. The Church Unfinished: Ecclesiology Through the Centuries, Paulist Press, 2004. ISBN 978-0809142866
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
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