Ecclesiology: The Church as Communion and Mission Book

Table of Contents

About the Series viii Certification Standards: National Resources for Church Ministry ix Introduction xi

Chapter 1: A Vision of Church—Communion and Mission 1
“Communion” and “Mission” as a Framework for Ecclesiology 2
The Communion and Mission of the Trinity—Source of the Church’s Communion and Mission 5
Unfolding the Vision—The Plan of This Book 7
Summary 11
For Reflection 11

Chapter 2: The Church—Communion of Disciples 12
Communion—Bond of Life in the Church 15
Father, Son, and Spirit—A Life of Perfect Communion 17
We Are Invited to Share God’s Life 18
Communion Among Members of the Church 20
The Parish—Communion of Households 21
The Diocese—Communion of Parishes 23
The Universal Church—Communion of Local Churches 24
Communion Beyond the Visible Church 26
The Church—Communion of Disciples 27
Summary 29
For Reflection 29

Chapter 3: Charisms, Ministries, and States of Life in the Church 30
The Common Status of the People of God 32
The Church Evolves Through History 35
The Correspondence of Charisms, Tasks, and Offices 37
States of Life in the Church—Laity, Clergy, and Religious 39
Summary 52
For Reflection 52

Chapter 4: The Church—Formed Through Word and Sacrament  53
The Word of God—In the Church, Above the Church 55
Advancing Toward the Plenitude of Divine Truth 56
The “Sense of the Faith” (Sensus Fidei) 58
The Whole Church, Learning and Teaching 60
Sacraments—Signifying and Sanctifying 63
The Church—Universal Sacrament of Salvation 65
Sacraments—By the Church, For the Church 66
Eucharistic Ecclesiology 67
Summary 70
For Reflection 71

Chapter 5: The Mission of the Church—Evangelizing Cultures 72
Evangelization—Deepest Identity of the Church 75
The Essential Moments of Evangelization 77
The New Evangelization 79
The Evangelization of Cultures 80
What Are Cultures? 82
Transforming the Cultures of the United States 84
The Inculturation of the Gospel and the Church 85
Summary 88
For Reflection 88

Chapter 6: The Mission of the Church—Transforming the World  89
The Church—In the World But Not of the World 91
The Church “in” the Modern World—Gaudium et Spes and Beyond 93
What Is the “World”? 96
The World—Created for the Church 98
Catholic Social Teaching—Our Best Kept Secret 100
Summary 103
For Reflection 104

Chapter 7: The Church—One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic  105
The Church—Holy in a Way That Can Never Fail 107
The Holiness of the Church—Genuine Though Imperfect 108
The Catholic Unity of the Church 111
Catholicity—The Fullness of Giving and Receiving 113
Summary 115
For Reflection 115

Conclusion 116
Abbreviations 117
Resources for Further Study 119
Acknowledgments 122
About the Author 123