MODELS OF THE CHURCH

I. CHURCH AS II. CHURCH AS III. CHURCH AS IV. CHURCH AS V. CHURCH AS SERVANT

INSTITUTION MYSTICAL SACRAMENT HERALD
COMMUNION
A. CHURCH UNDERSTANDING OF HERSELF
- a complete and - a communion of - Visible sacrament of - Church / - related intimately with
perfect spiritual men, stresses Christ’s invisible congregation as the world, and in
society, stresses informal, grace. gathered and solidarity with it.
visible bonds that spontaneous - visible manifestation formed by the - World’s servant, with no
unites members. interpersonal of the grace of Christ Word of God. claims to power, rather
- the Kingdom of relationships within in the human - Stresses faith and one who struggles for
God, society of the Church. community. proclamation over the world’s wholeness,
the holy and the - God’s people, - signifies in tangible interpersonal health and reconciliation
saved / served Christ’s body from Christ’s relationships and with God, man and
ones. growing into final redeeming grace to communion. nature.
- Self- sufficient perfection. men of every kind, - One who receives - An imperfect society
Church, knows all - sign of the age and traditions. an official who does not have all
the answers. kingdom, a Pilgrim - stresses visible unity message with the the answers; who
Church. among Christians; commission to acknowledge that there
- - all are called to link of continuity pass it on. is a gap between her
holiness – marked among all messages and her people
with imperfect but participating lives.
genuine holiness. Churches at any - A receiving and listening

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 given time. Church, a Church for the
- links/ connects kingdom
church with church - A Church for the poor
of Apostles and event and the “little flock”
of grace that - A Church who learns
transforms their lives from the world,
in hope, joy, self- vulnerable, humble
forgetful love, peace - EPC situation also
patience,etc. present in the world.

B. CHURCH RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WORLD

- sphere is limited - church is generally - Though focused on - sees the world as - Understand the world as
to what is focused on self, but self, it holds a belief object/receiver of created by God’s love,
supernatural and open to communion that graces are open the WORD OF fallen but redeemed,
eternal with others touched to men of every age, GOD. dynamic, leaven and
- set over and by Christ’s kind and culture - It cannot hold soul at the community.
against the world, reconciling grace (enculturation) feels itself responsible - God’s present and active
in competition even though not need to incarnate for man’s failure in human history
with the world. juridical bound itself in every human to accept God’s - Involvement in worldly
- Flight from the - promises a certain culture. word. activities
world, uses the openness and - Church helps man by
world. receptivity to the proclaiming the
world because of meaning, value/ dignity
the stress on of men, of freedom and

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 person. human rights
- Respects the true and
good elements of
institutions
- Accepts that the world
has something to offer-
sciences, culture, etc.

I. CHURCH AS II. CHURCH AS III. CHURCH AS VI. CHURCH AS V. CHURCH AS SERVANT

INSTITUTION MYSTICAL SERVANT HERALD
COMMUNION
C. PERIOD
- Late Middle - 1980’s -20th century - 20th century through, - right after - 1960’s onward ( evolved
Ages, anticipated by St. Pentecost ( earlier out of the Church’s
Reformation/ Agustin and St. model of the effort to reach out to the
Counter Thomas Aquinas. Church) world since the
Reformation, Renaissance
period between
Vatican I and II

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D. DOCUMENTS
- Dogmatic - - Pius XII’s Mystici - Vatican II- Lumen - writing of NT as - Medellin papers
Constitution of Corporis in 1943; Gentium (Chapter 5) inspired by the - Vatican II – Gaudium et
the church, (LG); Vatican II – Lumen (ad intramature of holy spirit Spes, FABC papers
Vatican I Gentium the Church) - Vatican I - Justice in the world,
documents; My documents, Evangelization in Asia
Catholic Faith Council of Trent today
Papers
- Vatican II –
Dogmatic
Constitution of
Divine Revelation

E. MISSION
-to bring all men to - to build - to be the presence of - proclamation of - scrutinize the signs of
salvation communities that Christ’s grace that the Word (not the times; establish a
- to save individual will be signs of would impel man to necessarily to SPECR order that will
souls; salvation unity and fellowship prayer worship as produce serve man and develop
merely a spiritual - to lead people to purify and intensify conversion) their dignity; stresses
reality unity with one man’s response to - the Evangelization participation and
another and with Christ’s redeeming of all nations equality
God grace - mission has a

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 RELIGIOUS and
SUPERNATURAL
character and with
repercussions on the
SPECR
- to build the world and to
promote UNITY
- to keep alive the hopes
of men and the value of
kingdom

I. CHURCH AS INSTITUTION II. CHURCH AS MYSTICAL III. CHURCH AS SACRAMENT IV. CHURCH AS HERALD V. CHURCH AS SERVANT
COMMUNION

F. MEMBERSHIP

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 - effected through BAPTISM –
“ outside the church there is
no salvation”
- clear – out division between
clergy and laity: clergy
teaches , governs, sanctifies;
laity – very passive, taught,
governed and sanctified
G. AUTHORITY
- hierarchical- clerical,
hierarchy as superiors and
judges
- stress on the power, titles,
privileges; papacy and its
powers; bishops functions are
duties
- holy spirit is with the rules of
the Church
- centralized power of authority
H. BONDS OF UNION
- doctrines, sacraments,
hierarchy
I – Church as an Institution
I. OTHER
CHARACTERISTICS
- all those bound by to the grace of
God; membership is not juridical.
- all those who are friends by the
grace of Christ – implies a
doctrine of invisible ( heart and
soul, internal) membership
- authority as service; teach, govern
and sanctify
- those in authority are stewards of
the mysteries
- collegial exercise of authority
( co- responsibility)
- pastors as coordinators of gifts and
roles in the church
- hierarchical aspect in place within
conduct of church in mystery
- interior grace and gifts of the Holy
Spirit; chrisms given at baptism
and confirmation are for service
II- Church as Mystical Communion
- visible membership
- accepts that others besides
Christians are recipients of God’s
grace in Christ
- church as a presence and source of
Christ’s grace
- all the social, visible signs of
Christ’s grace operative in
Christians; virtues, worship,
service
- witnessing in WORD and DEED
III – Church as Sacrament
- the community who gathers to listen,
worship and proclaim the WORD
- all those who hear the Word of God
and put their faith in Christ
- Church who proclaims the world
who must humbly listen
- faith is the primary bond
- faith as response to the Gospel
- sacraments are secondary to WORD
IV – Church as Herald
- not exclusively nor primarily the
members of the church but all those
who hear from the church of comfort
and encouragement
- laymen co- responsible for church
mission
- man for others given to service
- exercise in SERVANTHOOD
- sense of brotherhood among those
who serve – outs through
denominational obligations and
loyalties
V – Church as Servant
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- communication- top- bottom
- structures are highly –
organized and tend to be
rigid; stress on government –
juridical and legalistic
- apologetic presentation of
doctrine; stress on uniformity
and stability
- little room for dissent and
disagreement; strong accent
on obedience
J. CHIEF ASSETS
- strong endorsement in Papal
Documents and Scriptures
- by insisting strongly on
continuity from divine
origins; it provides links
between the uncertain present
and an esteemed religious
past
- serves to give Catholics a
corporate sense of identity
K. WEAKNESSES
- dictatorial
- no basis in the New
Testament
- strong emphasis on obedience
- legalistic not conductive to
creativity; always ask “Is it
approved”
- interior grace and gifts of the Holy
Spirit; chrism given at baptism
and confirmation are for service
- better basis on the biblical notion
of koinonia (communion) Acts
and Pauline letters
- excellent foundation in Catholics
tradition (e.g. Augustine)
community was central theme of
early Christian communities
- revivifies prayer and spirituality
by accenting interpersonal and
collective relationship with the
Holy Spirit
- meets a human need – to belong to
a community which in spite of
conflicts of modern society opens
up a loving communication
- over- emphasis on interpersonal
relationships
- invitation of God and man’s
response not clear
- Christian identity not clear
- holds essential the structural/
institutional aspects of the Church
- stresses visible unity sign
- rituals and offices must be actual
expressions of faith hope and love
of living men
- useful in relating Church as
institution and mystery –
institution of grace gives ample
space to the spirits work beyond
limits of institutional Church
neglecting the visible Church
- furnishes motives for strong
loyalty to the church
- not clear basis in Christian
tradition
- over- emphasis on the non-
essentials
- emphasis on self- sanctification
not mission
- not helpful to ecumenism
- kerygmatic in nature; Word is
central in catechesis/ preaching
radically centered on Christ and on
Scriptures as witness to Christ
- sharp distinction between Church on
earth and Kingdom of God
- good biblical foundation
- gives clear sense of identity and
mission
- conducive to a spirituality that
focuses on God’s sovereignty and
man’s infinite distance from HIM
- leads to obedience, repentance and
reform
- gives rise to a very rich theology of
the WORD
- poor in the idea of the incarnation
- focuses too much on WORD rather
that action
- ecumenically fruitful open Church;
dialogue with those in the Church
and with the world
- encourages discussion thru dialogue
with the WORLD and not one- sided
dictation from the CHURCH;
pluralistic
- stresses flexibility and adaptation to
culture
- it has what it alone can give to the
world who needs it; faith in Jesus
Christ , hope in the coming of the
Kingdom and commitment to the
values of peace, justice, human
brotherhood – which are biblical
themes
- the above reflects a consciousness of
the needs in the Church and in the
world
- seeks to give the Church a new
relevance, a new vitality, a new
modernity and a new sense of
mission
- lack of emphasis on faith, hope and
charity (beyond)
- lack of biblical foundation
- danger of emphasizing this
(temporal) life
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