THE THE CHURCHCHURCH

SEVEN MODELSSEVEN MODELS•The Political The Political

SocietySociety

• The Body of The Body of ChristChrist

• The SacramentThe Sacrament

• The Pilgrim The Pilgrim People of GodPeople of God

•The Human The Human CommunityCommunity

• The ServantThe Servant

• CommunionCommunion

THE POLITICAL THE POLITICAL SOCIETYSOCIETY

Model from 1600 to 1940Model from 1600 to 1940•one true Churchone true Church•professes same Christian professes same Christian

faithfaith•with same Sacramentswith same Sacraments•under authority of Pope and under authority of Pope and

bishopsbishops

THE POLITICAL THE POLITICAL SOCIETYSOCIETY

Weakness:Weakness:•enumerates only visible and enumerates only visible and

structural characteristics;structural characteristics;•political and exclusivist political and exclusivist

intent;intent;•overstresses authority of overstresses authority of

hierarchy;hierarchy;• lacks lay involvement.lacks lay involvement.

THE POLITICAL THE POLITICAL SOCIETYSOCIETY

Strength:Strength:• gives definite guidelines;gives definite guidelines;• establishes bondsestablishes bonds

of professed faith;of professed faith;• provides government;provides government;• promotes the Sacraments.promotes the Sacraments.

THE BODY OF CHRISTTHE BODY OF CHRIST

Mystici Corporis, 1943Mystici Corporis, 1943

•Ancient modelAncient model•Resurrected in 19Resurrected in 19thth Century Century•Complemented previous Complemented previous

modelmodel

THE BODY OF CHRISTTHE BODY OF CHRIST

Strength:Strength:•stresses the abiding stresses the abiding

presencepresenceof Jesus Christ;of Jesus Christ;

• represents the giftsrepresents the giftsof the Holy Spirit;of the Holy Spirit;

• shows interdependenceshows interdependenceof the members;of the members;

THE BODY OF CHRISTTHE BODY OF CHRIST

Strength:Strength:•presents a mystery of presents a mystery of

faith;faith;

• stresses the mystical, stresses the mystical, supernatural community supernatural community of grace.of grace.

THE BODY OF CHRISTTHE BODY OF CHRISTWeakness:Weakness:•doesn’t encompassdoesn’t encompass

the visible societythe visible societyof human beings;of human beings;

•or else, it divinizesor else, it divinizesthe visible communitythe visible community

of the faithful;of the faithful;

THE BODY OF CHRISTTHE BODY OF CHRIST

Weakness:Weakness:•can be anti-institutionalcan be anti-institutional

•doesn’t resolve tension doesn’t resolve tension between:between:

•visible institutionvisible institution• spiritual communionspiritual communion

•can be exclusivistcan be exclusivist

THE SACRAMENTTHE SACRAMENTVatican II: Lumen GentiumVatican II: Lumen Gentium

•ancient modelancient model•resurrected in 1940’sresurrected in 1940’s

Sign and instrument of: Sign and instrument of: •union with Godunion with God•unity of peopleunity of people

THE SACRAMENTTHE SACRAMENTStrength:Strength:• addresses the addresses the

relationship relationship between the between the visible and the visible and the invisible;invisible;

• contrasts less the Church contrasts less the Church and and non-Church;non-Church;

THE SACRAMENTTHE SACRAMENTStrength:Strength:•gives roomgives room

for constructive for constructive criticism;criticism;

• avoids the impressionavoids the impression

of perfection or of perfection or completeness.completeness.

THE SACRAMENTTHE SACRAMENT

Weakness:Weakness:•a theological modela theological model

rather than a popular rather than a popular model;model;

•has had less impacthas had less impact

than the two previous than the two previous models.models.

THE PEOPLE OF GODTHE PEOPLE OF GOD

Vatican II:Vatican II: Lumen GentiumLumen Gentium•Scriptural, patristic, Scriptural, patristic,

liturgicalliturgical•Sacred historySacred history•Unite all peoples in ChristUnite all peoples in Christ

THE PEOPLE OF GODTHE PEOPLE OF GOD

Strength:Strength:• presents a historical presents a historical

communitycommunity

on pilgrimage, on pilgrimage,

moving, not static; moving, not static; • democratic, democratic,

stresses basic unity of stresses basic unity of members;members;

THE PEOPLE OF GODTHE PEOPLE OF GOD

Strength:Strength:• transcends hierarchical, transcends hierarchical,

clerical, juridical, clerical, juridical, triumphalist limitations;triumphalist limitations;

• stresses need for stresses need for repentance and renewal;repentance and renewal;

• provides the spirit of provides the spirit of liturgical renewal.liturgical renewal.

THE PEOPLE OF GODTHE PEOPLE OF GOD

Weakness:Weakness:•under-stresses relation between under-stresses relation between

the the People and Jesus Christ;People and Jesus Christ;•can give impression that the can give impression that the

Church Church is still living under is still living under the Old Law;the Old Law;

•has not impacted outsidehas not impacted outside

the documents of Vatican II.the documents of Vatican II.

THE HUMAN THE HUMAN COMMUNITYCOMMUNITY

•Less theological, more Less theological, more pastoralpastoral

•PentecostalPentecostal•Sociological, psychologicalSociological, psychological•Group dynamicsGroup dynamics

THE HUMAN THE HUMAN COMMUNITYCOMMUNITY

Strength:Strength:• fosters friendship and fosters friendship and

trust;trust;• freer of institutional freer of institutional

structures;structures;• can unite community and can unite community and

institution.institution.

THE HUMAN THE HUMAN COMMUNITYCOMMUNITY

Weakness:Weakness:•can engender anti-can engender anti-

institutionalism;institutionalism;•can become closed incan become closed in

on themselves (narcissism);on themselves (narcissism);•can develop into splinter can develop into splinter

groups groups and sects.and sects.

THE SERVANTTHE SERVANT

Vatican II: Gaudium et SpesVatican II: Gaudium et Spes•theologicaltheological• in social documentsin social documents

THE SERVANTTHE SERVANTStrength:Strength:• carries on Jesus Christ’s carries on Jesus Christ’s

missionmission

of service to the world;of service to the world;• shares in the problems of shares in the problems of

human human life, serving people;life, serving people;• scrutinizes the signs of the scrutinizes the signs of the

times;times;

THE SERVANTTHE SERVANT

Strength:Strength:• introduces an attitude of introduces an attitude of

listening to the world and listening to the world and learning;learning;

• inspires a theology of inspires a theology of liberation.liberation.

THE SERVANTTHE SERVANT

Weakness:Weakness:•the Church’s contribution the Church’s contribution

in the socio-political sphere in the socio-political sphere not clear;not clear;

•gives a social meaning to gives a social meaning to biblical terms;biblical terms;

•shifts of meaning need to shifts of meaning need to be looked into.be looked into.

COMMUNIONCOMMUNION

Communio et Progressio,Communio et Progressio, 19711971

Novo millennio ineunte,Novo millennio ineunte, 20002000

•Develops Body of ChristDevelops Body of Christ•School of communionSchool of communion

COMMUNIONCOMMUNIONStrength:Strength:• aims at unity andaims at unity and

brotherhood of all people;brotherhood of all people;• traces its source and modeltraces its source and model

to the Blessed Trinity;to the Blessed Trinity;• promotes the giving of self in promotes the giving of self in

love through communication.love through communication.

COMMUNIONCOMMUNION

Weakness:Weakness:•develops the Body of Christ develops the Body of Christ

modelmodel•tension remains between:tension remains between:

• spiritual communion,spiritual communion,• visible institutional societyvisible institutional society