The Power of the Church

The Power of the Church PDF

Author: Michael Wagenman

Publisher:

Published: 2017-10-30

Total Pages: 388

ISBN-13: 9781973185703

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Abraham Kuyper was raised in a nineteenth century Dutch Reformed environment deeply influenced by the Enlightenment which concentrated civic power in the state which dominanted civic life, the church included. In response, Kuyper re‐articulated the power of the institutional church to address the resultant ills perceived in church, state, and society. This dissertation analyzes the power of the institutional church in Kuyper's ecclesiology through an investigation of his primary works, historical‐ cultural context, and comparison with other theologians and philosophers of ecclesial power.For Kuyper, the institutional church is structurally grounded in creation, emerging after the Fall as an institution of human society. It occupies an essential place as a sphere with its own direct accountability to Christ, independent from other spheres. The church exists bi‐modally: as institution and organism. In both modes, the church is the bearer of the salt and light of the Gospel to the world. But the institutional church does not accomplish its task with the same means or power as other cultural institutions. It is a unique sphere of public life with a unique form of power. The unique power of the institutional church emerges from Kuyper's comprehensive Calvinist worldview.The power of the institutional church is its unique vocation, in vital union with Christ, to proclaim the comprehensive Word of God (through proclaimed Word, celebrated sacraments, discipleship, and diaconal acts of justice and mercy). This proclamation is oriented toward personal and public conversion, not directly through ecclesial cultural dominance but indirectly through public Christian witness.This analysis is then brought into critical dialogue with others to highlight and clarify it for application to the church today. It is argued that Kuyper's insight has not been fully received, that it is deeply resonant with Scripture, and that it remains rich with potential for the contemporary world.

Readings in Church Authority

Readings in Church Authority PDF

Author: Richard Gaillardetz

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-03-02

Total Pages: 756

ISBN-13: 1351906437

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The issues of Authority and Governance in the Roman Catholic Church permeate each and every aspect of the Church's identity, teaching, influence, organisation, moral values and pastoral provision. They have left their mark, in turn, upon its diverse theological and philosophical traditions. The trends of postmodernity, advances in communication, the advent of new ecclesial movements and theologies, and a perceived policy towards increasing institutional centralisation on the part of the Curial authorities of the Church in Rome, have all facilitated a continuous and lively stream of dialogue and disagreement on authority and governance in relation to the place of the Church in our age and the new Millennium. This comprehensive Reader uniquely gathers together in one volume key writings and documents from the wealth of published literature that has emerged on the issues of authority and governance in the Roman Catholic Church. With guided introductions to each section and to each reading, and end of chapter further reading lists, this Reader offers a balanced range of perspectives, themes, international writings, ecumenical dimensions, and formal church documents and Papal pronouncements on core areas of contemporary study and debate. Focusing on the modern/post-modern period in the Roman Catholic Church, but grounded in the historical contexts, Readings in Church Authority presents an accessible source book and introduction for all those exploring current debates and studying central themes in church authority.

Ecclesial Mediation in Karl Barth

Ecclesial Mediation in Karl Barth PDF

Author: John Yocum

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13:

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John Yocum argues that Barth's late rejection of the concept of sacrament subverts important elements of his own earlier theology, especially the mediation of divine grace in preaching and the Bible.

Generous Orthodoxies

Generous Orthodoxies PDF

Author: Paul Silas Peterson

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2020-04-30

Total Pages: 283

ISBN-13: 1498244734

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After the birth of the Protestant ecumenical movement in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and following the first great wave of universal Christian ecumenism in the 1960s and 1970s after the Second Vatican Council, prominent theologians of nearly every ecclesial tradition charted new territory in the last decades of the twentieth century. They crossed boundaries within their own ecclesial traditions and built bridges to other Christian churches--churches that were once excluded from fellowship. In the development of these new programs of ecumenical theology, the theologians redefined their own confessional identities and, in many cases, crossed the liberal-conservative divide within their own traditions. This volume introduces this fascinating dynamic of theological mediation, redefinition, and generosity. It shows how the ecumenical impulses, which were directed outwardly to other traditions, had reflexive effects inwardly. Working in the realms of both historical and systematic theology, the essays in this volume provide a critical analysis of the history of this general theological sentiment and offer an outlook for its future. Contributors Brian D. McLaren, Foreword Paul Silas Peterson, Introduction Part One: Ecumenical reform theologies Andrew Meszaros, Yves Congar: The Birth of "Catholic Ecumenism" Matthew L. Becker, Edmund Schlink: Ecumenical Theology Dorothea Sattler, Otto Hermann Pesch: Ecumenical Scholasticism Ronald T. Michener, George Lindbeck: Ecumenical Unity through Ecclesial Particularity Nikolaos Asproulis, John D. Zizioulas: A Pioneer of Ecumenical Dialogue and Christian Unity Part Two: Overcoming liberal-conservative polarities Ben Fulford, Hans Frei: Beyond Liberal and Conservative Friederike Nussel, Wolfhart Pannenberg: Liberal Orthodoxy Jay T. Smith, Stanley J. Grenz: The Evangelical Turn to Postliberal Theological Method Part Three: Boundary crossings in philosophical, systematic and ethical theology William E. Myatt, David Tracy: Difference, Unity, and the Analogical Imagination Christophe Chalamet, Robert Jenson: God's Way and the Ways of the Church Victoria Lorrimar, Stanley Hauerwas: Witnessing Communities of Character Christine M. Helmer, Marilyn McCord Adams: Philosophy, Theology, and Prayer Part Four: Ecumenical theology today Wolfgang Vonday, Pentecostalism and Christian Orthodoxy: Revision, Revival, and Renewal Johanna Rahner, Shifting Paradigms - Future Ecumenical Challenges Michael Amaladoss, Theology today in India: Ecumenical or interreligious? Bernd Oberdorfer, Next Steps - and Visions? Lutheran Perspectives on Doctrinal Ecumenism

When the Magisterium Intervenes

When the Magisterium Intervenes PDF

Author: Richard R. Gaillardetz

Publisher: Liturgical Press

Published: 2012-05-01

Total Pages: 321

ISBN-13: 0814680550

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Catholicism has always recognized the need for a normative doctrinal teaching authority. Yet the character, scope, and exercise of that authority, what has come to be called the magisterium, has changed significantly over two millennia. This book gathers contributions from leading Catholic scholars in considering new factors that must be taken into account as we consider the church's official teaching authority in today's postmodern context. Noted experts in their fields cover many intriguing topics here, including the investigation of theologians that has occurred in recent years, canonical perspectives on such investigations, the role that women religious have played in these issues, the place of the media when problems arise, and possible future ways forward The book concludes with "The Elizabeth Johnson Dossier," a selection of documents essential to understanding the case of Elizabeth Johnson, CSJ, whose work was recently the subject of severe criticism by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.Contributors include Bradford Hinze, James Coriden, Colleen Mallon, Ormond Rush, Gerard Mannion, Anthony Godzieba, Vincent Miller, Richard Gaillardetz, and Elizabeth Johnson.

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