4.2 Ecclesiology

Ecclesiology

Different ways of thinking about the church

Mediation (cf. media, mediation, medium)

Communion (cf. commune, communication, coming together)

Bishops as mediators

• Delegated authority
• Chain of command
• Ordinary people as followers
• Model taken from Roman government, dominant in early and medieval Christendom

Bishops as communion

• Team captain, servant leadership
• Ordinary people as members
• More common among theologians today

Saints

Saints as mediators

• Patrons
• More specific connection
• Lower in chain of command is still well-connected but more accessible
• Cf. social networking

Saints as communion

• Dead Christians are still members of the Church
• Grandma used to pray with me and for me, still does
• Exemplars and heroes of faith

The Communion of the Saints

Controversy

• Some see as distraction from direct personal relationship with Christ through scripture

What do we think about how Christianity changed following Constantine?

• disorganized → organized institution following Roman political/social structure
• communion model of church → mediator model of church
• apolitical → political
• diversity → unity, standard
• powerless → powerful
• minority → majority