Ecclesiology the study of the theological understanding of the Christian church (ekklesia). Christian Theology is discourse concerning Christian faith Christian theologians use biblical Exegesis, rational analysis and argument Specific areas of concern include the church's role in salvation, its origin, its relationship to the historical Christ, its discipline, its destiny, and its leadership. In Theology, salvation can mean three related things being saved from or Liberation from something such as Suffering or the punishment of Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Eschatology (from the Greek, Eschatos meaning "last" and -logy meaning "the study of" is a part of Theology Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given Religion. Ecclesiology is, therefore, the study of the church as a thing in itself.
Different ecclesiologies give shape to very different institutions. Thus, 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.
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Etymology
Ecclesiology comes from the Greek ἐκκλησία (ekklesia), which entered Latin as ecclesia. In the Greco-Roman world, the word was used to refer to a lawful assembly, or a called legislative body. As early as Pythagoras, the word took on the additional meaning of a community with shared beliefs. "Pythagoras of Samos" redirects here For the Samian statuary of the same name see Pythagoras (sculptor. [1] This is the meaning taken in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (the Septuagint), and later adopted by the Christian community to refer to the assembly of believers. The term Hebrew Bible is a generic reference to those books of the Bible originally written in Biblical Hebrew (and the related Biblical Aramaic The Septuagint (ˈsɛptuədʒɪnt or simply " LXX " is the Koine Greek version of the Hebrew Bible, translated in stages between the [2]
Issues addressed by ecclesiology
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 (see invisible church) 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 who 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?
See also
Beliefs that define the Church
- Body of Christ
- Biblical canon
- Creed
- Orthodoxy
- Spiritual house
- Theology -- beliefs about the nature of God. A corporation is a separate legal entity usually used to conduct business Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The invisible church or church invisible is a theological concept originally taught by St Church (disambiguation A religious denomination is a subgroup within a Religion that operates under a common name tradition and identity A saint (from the Latin sanctus) is a human being to whom has been attributed (and who has generally demonstrated a high level of Holiness and Sanctity A saint (from the Latin sanctus) is a human being to whom has been attributed (and who has generally demonstrated a high level of Holiness and Sanctity This article refers to the religious act For the album by Michael W In Christianity, baptism ( Greek, "immersing" "performing Ablutions " is the ritual act with the use of water by which one is admitted A creed is a statement of Belief — usually Religious belief — or Faith often recited as part of a religious service In Politics, authority ( Latin Auctoritas, used in Roman law as opposed to Potestas and Imperium Revelation is the act of revealing or disclosing (see etymology or in the theological perception making something obvious and clearly understood through active or passive communication God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. In Christianity, divine Grace refers to the sovereign favour of God for humankind — especially in regard to Salvation — irrespective of actions Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin A sacrament, as defined in Hexam's Concise Dictionary of Religion is "a Rite in which God is uniquely active A liturgy is the customary public worship done by a specific religious group according to their particular traditions This article is about the canonical books of the New Testament This article refers to the religious act For the album by Michael W Spiritual formation is the growth and development of the whole person by an intentional focus on one’s (1 spiritual and interior life (2 interactions with others in ordinary See also Evangelism, Christianization A Christian mission has been widely defined since the Lausanne Congress of 1974 as that which In Christianity, the disciples were the students of Jesus during his ministry. Christ is the English term for the Greek ( Khristós) meaning "the anointed " Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given Religion. A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites in particular rites of sacrifice to and propitiation of a deity or deities In a general sense the term Holy Orders refers to those in the Christian religion who have been ordained in Apostolic Succession. In a general sense the term Holy Orders refers to those in the Christian religion who have been ordained in Apostolic Succession. Spiritual gifts (or Charismata, according to some Christian denominations such as Pentecostal, are gifts that are bestowed on Christians each having his or her The term New Covenant (; Greek:, diathēkē kainē is used in the Bible (both in the Hebrew Bible and the Greek New Testament) to refer A covenant, in its most general sense is a solemn promise to engage in or refrain from a specified action Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin Various groups and individuals(see List of Messiah claimants) have considered themselves chosen by God for some purpose such as to act as God's agent on earth Summary of Christian eschatological differencesIn Christian theology, Christian eschatology is the study of its religious Beliefs concerning all Future and Body of Christ is a term of Christian Theology, implicitly traceable to Jesus 's statement at the Last Supper that "This is my body" A Biblical canon or canon of scripture is a list or Set of Biblical books considered to be authoritative as Scripture by a particular religious A creed is a statement of Belief — usually Religious belief — or Faith often recited as part of a religious service The word orthodox, from Greek orthodoxos "having the right opinion" from orthos ("right true straight" + doxa ("opinion Spiritual house (is a conception which describes the Christian Church ontologically Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. This can include Pneumatology - beliefs about the Holy Spirit, Christology - beliefs about Jesus being the Messiah, and Soteriology -beliefs about how people are saved
Rituals that define the Church
Topics in church government
References
- ^ [[Diogenes Laertius, 8. Pneumatology is the study of spiritual beings and phenomena especially the interactions between humans and God. In mainstream Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is one of the three entities of the Holy Trinity which make up the single substance Christology (from Christ and Greek grc -λογία -logia) is a field of study within Christian theology which is concerned with Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) This article is about the concept of a Messiah in religion notably in the Christian Islamic and Jewish traditions Soteriology is the branch of theology that deals with Salvation. A liturgy is the customary public worship done by a specific religious group according to their particular traditions this article is on the Anglican church in particular See Orthopraxis for ritualism in general A sermon is an oration by a Prophet or member of the Clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, or religious topic A sacrament, as defined in Hexam's Concise Dictionary of Religion is "a Rite in which God is uniquely active The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those In Christianity, baptism ( Greek, "immersing" "performing Ablutions " is the ritual act with the use of water by which one is admitted Infant baptism is the Christian religious practice of baptizing infants or young children Believer's baptism (occasionally called credobaptism, from the Latin word credo) is the Christian practice of Baptism as this is understood by Confirmation is a Rite of initiation in many Christian Churches normally in the form of Laying on of hands and/or Anointing for Chrismation is the name given in Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches as well as in the Assyrian Church of the East In a general sense the term Holy Orders refers to those in the Christian religion who have been ordained in Apostolic Succession. Autocephaly, in Hierarchical Christian churches and especially Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches is the status of a hierarchical church whose Canon law is internal ecclesiastical law governing the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox churches and the Anglican Communion of churches The Four Marks of the Church, sometimes referred to as the Marks of the Church or the Marks of the True Church, are a group of four characteristics describing the Separation of church and state is a Political and Legal Doctrine that Government and religious institutions are to be kept separate Thomas Erastus ( September 7, 1524 &ndash December 31, 1583) was a Swiss theologian best known for a posthumously An established church is a church officially sanctioned and supported by the government of a country e Full communion is a term used in Christian Ecclesiology to describe the relationship of communion, with mutually recognized sharing of the same essential In religious organizations the laity comprises all persons who are not Clergy. In the Sociology of religion a sect is generally a smaller religious or political group that has broken off from a larger group for example from a This article does not discuss "cult" in the original sense of "veneration" or "religious practice" for that usage see Cult (religious practice Ecclesiastical polity is the operational and governance structure of a Church or Christian denomination. Connectionalism is the theological understanding and foundation of Methodist polity. Congregationalist polity, often known as congregationalism is a system of Church governance in which every Local church congregation is independent Episcopal polity is a form of church governance which is hierarchical in structure with the chief authority over a local Christian church resting in a Bishop (Greek Presbyterian polity is a method of Church governance typified by the rule of assemblies of Presbyters or elders Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given Religion. The universal priesthood or the priesthood of all believers, as it would come to be known in the present day is a Christian doctrine believed to be derived from several The Bishop of Rome is the bishop of the Holy See, more often referred to in the Catholic tradition as the Pope. Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a Pater familias over an extended family In Hierarchical Christian churches the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the Diocesan bishop or In Christianity, an archbishop is an elevated Bishop. In the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion and others this means that they lead A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight A priest or priestess is a person having the authority or power to administer religious rites in particular rites of sacrifice to and propitiation of a deity or deities Deacon is a role in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind but which varies among theological and denominational traditions A pastor is an official person within a Protestant group of people and related to the positions of Priest or Bishop within the Anglican, Roman Catholic An elder (in Greek, πρεσβυτερος; see Presbyter) in Christianity is a person valued for his Wisdom who accordingly holds a particular 41 (available online, retrieved 22 May, 2008).
- ^ F. Bauer, W. Danker, A Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, third ed. , (Chicago:University of Chicago Press, 2000), ἐκκλησία.
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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