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Ecclesiology: Avery Dulles’ Six Models of the Church

Ecclesiology: Avery Dulles’ Six Models of the Church. McQuaid Jesuit. This presentation is based almost entirely on: http://www.slideshare.net/deporresd/ecclesiology-and-models-of-the-church. Questions to Consider. What is the Church? Who is the Church? Who founded the Church?

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Ecclesiology: Avery Dulles’ Six Models of the Church

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  1. Ecclesiology:Avery Dulles’ Six Models of the Church McQuaid Jesuit This presentation is based almost entirely on: http://www.slideshare.net/deporresd/ecclesiology-and-models-of-the-church

  2. Questions to Consider • What is the Church? • Who is the Church? • Who founded the Church? • What is the purpose of the Church? http://americamagazine.org/images/articles/dulles-200.jpg Avery Dulles, S.J.

  3. The Church as Institution • This model of Church emphasizes the structure and order of the Church. Jesus says to Peter, “You are ‘Rock’, and on this rock I will build my Church. • This model emphasizes the hierarchy of the Church. Clerics (Pope, bishops, priests, deacons) responsible to the laity for teaching (doctrine), sanctifying (administering sacraments), and ruling. • This model of Church is evident in the NT in the Council of Jerusalem, when the Gentile Question was raised. But not to the extent it is today. http://saintpetersbasilica.org/Exterior/frCastleSAngelo/StPeters-Vatican-WA.jpg http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2013/3/14/1363286597947/Pope-Francis-009.jpg

  4. The Church as Institution • A strength of this model is a clear understanding of right and wrong. There are clear roles and guidelines for living the faith. • A weakness of this understanding is that it can lead to legalism, and an overemphasis on law. • Moreover, it can lead to difficulty among believers to sort out a priority of laws, or an understanding of the relative importance of laws.

  5. Church as Communion/Community • This model of Church emphasized the community nature of the Church. In Paul’s Letter to the Corinthians, he refers to the Church as the Body of Christ. A worshiping community of believers who by their faith become a sign and instrument of the union of God and humanity. • This model emphasizes the notion that a parish is a family. • The Acts of the Apostles alludes to this model when it discusses the community of believers being of one mind and heart, and sharing possessions in common. http://www.mcquaid.org/page.cfm?p=7 http://www.holyspiritrochester.org/images/aboutus.jpg

  6. Church as Communion/Community • The strength of this model is the creation of a strong sense of belonging. The community is warm and welcoming. • The weakness of this model is that the community can so lack structure there is no sense of purpose or direction. There can be too limited a sense of belief in a certain set of principles. • Over-emphasis on community can make the group stifling. Conflicts can be avoided in the name of belonging.

  7. Church as Sacrament • The Church is seen first and foremost as a visible sign of the presence of Christ in the world. • The Church becomes the visible way Christ works in the world. “Christ is at once manifesting and actualizing the mystery of God's love for humans.” • Emphasizes the visible (human) and invisible (spiritual) sides of the Church. http://www.mcquaid.org/cf_media/index.cfm?t=1&g=89 http://www.mcquaid.org/cf_media/index.cfm?t=1&g=89

  8. Church as Sacrament • The strength of this model is the clear connection with a “Catholic way of seeing the world” sacramentally in signs and symbols. • The weakness of this model is that it requires a high level of catechesis and theological education, not always readily apparent.

  9. Church as Herald/Messenger • The Church is primarily the messenger of the Gospel. The Church is the voice, the announcer, of the Kingdom of God. • The Church proclaims a new reality of peace, and a reign of God that is both already there and not yet fully realized. • The members of the Church then are called to be the heralds of this Church. http://www.ourladyoflourdessaintanne.org/ministry/

  10. Church as Herald/Messenger • The strength of this model is the heavy emphasis and understanding of proclaiming the gospel as an important part of the Christian life. • A weakness of this model is that it can lead to a cerebral understanding of faith. Also, it can de-emphasize the visible nature of the sacramental life.

  11. Church as Servant • This model sees the Church as having a primary commitment to the creation of social justice, which is at the heart of the gospel mission. • This is the action which underscores the importance of Jesus’ message of peace, justice, love, and reconciliation. • This is the aspect where the Church understands its need to underscore the words of the gospel with the need to put those words into action. http://www.mcquaid.org/ John Mandabach

  12. Church as Servant • The strength of this model is that the Church is filled with believers who live authentically their faith. Believers work for a better worlds where all receive the things they deserve. • The weakness is that there can be such an emphasis on action, that a faith dimension is lost. The community can simply be a collection of activists with no distinctive belief in God or Jesus.

  13. Church as Disciples • The Church is seen as a community of people who follow Jesus. Not simply admiring Jesus, but striving, in everything they do, to imitate Jesus both in word and action. • Knowing that Jesus suffered for his beliefs, they too know that suffering may be a part of their lives too. • This understanding also includes personal and communal accountability. http://www.catholiccourier.com/tasks/sites/cc/cache/file/CEB199BE-B4CF-385D-E9227B309A59BFDA.jpg

  14. Church as Disciples • The strength of this model is a stronger sense of connection to Jesus, his mission, and other who believe. • A weakness of this model is that it might still become too local, without a strong emphasis on the universal nature of the Church.

  15. Synthesis • The Church as Sacrament: founded by Christ, combing visible (human) with invisible (divine) dimensions. Baptism, Eucharist and other sacraments combine these elements. This leads to… • Church as Community. Strengthened and called together by the sacraments, a community is created. This leads to… • The Church as Herald. The community feels compelled to share the good news with others. Which leads to…

  16. Synthesis • The Church as Institution. A need to codify the beliefs of the community, so that the essential parts of the message are preserved. Which leads to… • The Church as Servant. A community of believers compelled to put their beliefs into action. Which leads to… • The Church as a Community of Disciples. Founded by Jesus, this Church strives to imitate more and more clearly the life of its founder.

  17. Synthesis • Which calls the Church more clearly to be the visible and invisible reality of its founder. • This is best understood not as a circle, but as a spiral, leading us deeper and deeper into the mystery of Christ.

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