THE CHURCH

SEVEN MODELS The Political SocietyThe Political Society The Body of Christ The Body of Christ The Sacrament The Sacrament The Pilgrim People of God The Pilgrim People of God The Human Community The Servant Communion

THE POLITICAL SOCIETY Model from 1600 to 1940 one true Churchone true Church professes same Christian faithprofesses same Christian faith with same Sacramentswith same Sacraments under authority of Pope and bishopsunder authority of Pope and bishops

THE POLITICAL SOCIETY Weakness: enumerates only visible and structural characteristics;enumerates only visible and structural characteristics; political and exclusivist intent;political and exclusivist intent; overstresses authority of hierarchy;overstresses authority of hierarchy; lacks lay involvement.lacks lay involvement.

THE POLITICAL SOCIETY Strength: gives definite guidelines; gives definite guidelines; establishes bonds establishes bonds of professed faith; provides government; provides government; promotes the Sacraments. promotes the Sacraments.

THE BODY OF CHRIST Mystici Corporis, 1943 Ancient modelAncient model Resurrected in 19 th CenturyResurrected in 19 th Century Complemented previous modelComplemented previous model

THE BODY OF CHRIST Strength: stresses the abiding presencestresses the abiding presence of Jesus Christ; represents the gifts represents the gifts of the Holy Spirit; shows interdependence shows interdependence of the members;

THE BODY OF CHRIST Strength: presents a mystery of faith;presents a mystery of faith; stresses the mystical, supernatural community of grace. stresses the mystical, supernatural community of grace.

THE BODY OF CHRIST Weakness: doesn’t encompassdoesn’t encompass the visible society of human beings; or else, it divinizesor else, it divinizes the visible community of the faithful; of the faithful;

THE BODY OF CHRIST Weakness: can be anti-institutionalcan be anti-institutional doesn’t resolve tension between:doesn’t resolve tension between: visible institutionvisible institution spiritual communion spiritual communion can be exclusivistcan be exclusivist

THE SACRAMENT Vatican II: Lumen Gentium ancient modelancient model resurrected in 1940’sresurrected in 1940’s Sign and instrument of: union with Godunion with God unity of peopleunity of people

THE SACRAMENT Strength: addresses the relationship between the visible and the invisible; addresses the relationship between the visible and the invisible; contrasts less the Church and non-Church; contrasts less the Church and non-Church;

THE SACRAMENT Strength: gives roomgives room for constructive criticism; avoids the impression avoids the impression of perfection or completeness.

THE SACRAMENT Weakness: a theological modela theological model rather than a popular model; has had less impacthas had less impact than the two previous models.

THE PEOPLE OF GOD Vatican II: Lumen Gentium Scriptural, patristic, liturgicalScriptural, patristic, liturgical Sacred historySacred history Unite all peoples in ChristUnite all peoples in Christ

THE PEOPLE OF GOD Strength: presents a historical community presents a historical community on pilgrimage, on pilgrimage, moving, not static; democratic, democratic, stresses basic unity of members;

THE PEOPLE OF GOD Strength: transcends hierarchical, clerical, juridical, triumphalist limitations;transcends hierarchical, clerical, juridical, triumphalist limitations; stresses need for repentance and renewal; stresses need for repentance and renewal; provides the spirit of liturgical renewal. provides the spirit of liturgical renewal.

THE PEOPLE OF GOD Weakness: under-stresses relation between the People and Jesus Christ;under-stresses relation between the People and Jesus Christ; can give impression that the Church is still living under the Old Law;can give impression that the Church is still living under the Old Law; has not impacted outsidehas not impacted outside the documents of Vatican II.

THE HUMAN COMMUNITY Less theological, more pastoral Pentecostal Sociological, psychological Group dynamics

THE HUMAN COMMUNITY Strength: f fosters friendship and trust; reer of institutional structures; c can unite community and institution.

THE HUMAN COMMUNITY Weakness: can engender anti-institutionalism; can become closed in on themselves (narcissism); can develop into splinter groups and sects.

THE SERVANT Vatican II: Gaudium et Spes theologicaltheological in social documentsin social documents

THE SERVANT Strength: carries on Jesus Christ’s mission carries on Jesus Christ’s mission of service to the world; shares in the problems of human life, serving people; shares in the problems of human life, serving people; scrutinizes the signs of the times; scrutinizes the signs of the times;

THE SERVANT Strength: introduces an attitude of listening to the world and learning;introduces an attitude of listening to the world and learning; inspires a theology of liberation. inspires a theology of liberation.

THE SERVANT Weakness: the Church’s contribution in the socio-political sphere not clear;the Church’s contribution in the socio-political sphere not clear; gives a social meaning to biblical terms;gives a social meaning to biblical terms; shifts of meaning need to be looked into.shifts of meaning need to be looked into.

COMMUNION Communio et Progressio, 1971 Novo millennio ineunte, 2000 Develops Body of ChristDevelops Body of Christ School of communionSchool of communion

COMMUNION Strength: aims at unity and aims at unity and brotherhood of all people; traces its source and model traces its source and model to the Blessed Trinity; promotes the giving of self in love through communication. promotes the giving of self in love through communication.

COMMUNION Weakness: develops the Body of Christ modeldevelops the Body of Christ model tension remains between:tension remains between: spiritual communion,spiritual communion, visible institutional societyvisible institutional society