Purpose of the Course:
The purpose of the course is to help students
understand better the identity of the Church they belong to and in whose
ministry they are preparing to serve. It will attempt to equip the students
with the doctrinal elements necessary to articulate an adequate ecclesiology
for ministry in the 21st century.
Teaching Methods
Most class periods will be in a magisterial Lecture format with
suggested reading assignments. Questions will always be welcome and interaction
is expected. PowerPoint presentations and visual aides (slides) will be used,
together with discussion in small groups and feedbacks to the whole class. Comprehensive
class-notes will be provided to the students at the beginning of the Course.
The course blog http://ecclesiology-Tangaza.blogspot.com/ will serve for communication and
interaction.
Expected Course
outcome
At
the end of the course the student is expected to give a personal and informed
answer to the following questions: What is the mystery of the Church I live in?
Why is the Church not a mere institution only, but first and foremost, a living
organism, which has its origin and source in the Trinity? Why should the Church
seek always unity in faith and charity? What are the fundamentals for building
a theology of mission and ministry? How is my personal holiness dependent and
built on the holiness of the Church?
Course Content
Chapter
1: Introductory Remarks
1.1. Some
Reasons for Our Study
1.2. Church as
mystery both divine and human elements
1.3. Church as Dynamic and Living Reality
Chapter
2: Biblical Ecclesiology
2.1. Old
Testament preparation of the New Testament Church
2.2. Church in
the New Testament
2.2.1.
Foundations in the Jesus Event
2.2.2. The Term Ekklesia
2.2.3. Characteristics
of the Church in the New Testament
2.2.4.
The Churches that the Apostles Left Behind
2.3. Conclusion:
Though Many, yet One Church
Chapter
3: Self-comprehension of the Church
throughout History
3.1. The Jewish
Apocalyptic Paradigm
3.2. The
Ecumenical Hellenistic Paradigm (Patristic Church)
3.3.
Church-Society Paradigm (Church in post-Constantine era)
3.4. The
Paradigm of Institution – Strong Papacy (Church in the of Middle Ages)
3.4. The
Protestant Evangelical Paradigm
3.5. Ecclesiology
of the First Vatican Council
3.6. Ecclesiology
of the Second Vatican Council: Church as Communion
Chapter
4: Theological Approaches to the Mystery
of the Church
4.1. Church and
the Kingdom of God
4.2. The Trinitarian
Foundation of the Church
4.2.1.
Church as People of God
4.2.2.
Church as Body of Christ
4.2.3
Church as Creation of the Spirit
4.3. The
Sacramental Nature of the Mystery of Church
4.4. Church as
Family of God
4.5. The Vision
of the Church as Koinonia (Communion)
4.6. Excursus: The Eccelsiology of vatican II
(J. Ratzinger)
Chapter
5: Pastoral Model of the Small Christian
Communities
5.1. History of
the Small Christian Communities in Eastern Africa
5.2. Theological
Foundations of the Small Christian Communities
5.3. A Way Ahead
for Today’s Parish (Lumko materials)
Chapter
6: The Church We Believe in
6.1. We Believe
in the One Church (Theology of
Ecumenism)
6.1.1.
Unity in the Scriptures
6.1.2.
Unity in Patristic Times
6.1.3.
Unity in the Documents of Vatican II
6.1.4.
Catholic Principles of Ecumenism
6.1.5.
Relationship Between Local and Universal Church
6.1.6.
Excursus - CDF: Responses to Some
Questions (2007)
6.2. We Believe in the Holy Church (Theology
of Evangelical Counsels)
6.2.1.
Marked with a Genuine though Imperfect Holiness
6.2.2.
Grounds for belief that the Church is indefectively holy
6.2.3.
Is the Church also a “sinful” Church?
6.3. We Believe in the Catholic Church (Theology
of Mission)
6.3.1.
Concept of catholicity: Yesterday and Today
6.3.2. Vatican
II and the Church’s Catholicity
6.3.3. “Call to
salvation” and the “Call to Belong to the Church”
6.2.4. Excursus
- CDF: “Notification” (1997)
6.4. We Believe in the Apostolic Church (Theology
of Ministry)
6.4.1.
Apostolicity of the New Testament
6.4.2.
Apostolicity Post-New Testament Church
6.4.3.
Doctrinal Aspects on Apostolicity of the Church
6.5. Magisterium: The Teaching Authority in
the Catholic Church
6.5.1.
Infallibility of the People of God
6.5.2.
Bishops as Pastors and Teachers
6.5.3.
The Bearers of the Pastoral Teaching Office
6.6. Concluding
Remarks on the “Marks” of the Church
Chapter
7: Some Contemporary Questions in
Ecclesiology
7.1. Authority
in the Church
7.2. Ordained
Ministries and Women
7.3.
Accountability and Governance in the Church: Theological Considerations
7.4. The Sex
Abuse Crisis and the Question of Credibility
Concluding Remarks
