Models of the church

1. Pre-Assembly TalkPre-Assembly Talk
The Models of the ChurchThe Models of the Church

2. Some Questions to ConsiderSome Questions to Consider
•What is the Church?What is the Church?
•Who is the Church?Who is the Church?
•Who founded the Church?Who founded the Church?
•What is the purpose of the Church?What is the purpose of the Church?

3. What is the Church?What is the Church?
•Cardinal Avery Dulles developed a way of Cardinal Avery Dulles developed a way of
answering this question using models. answering this question using models.
The title of his book, The title of his book, Models of the Models of the
ChurchChurch, is still important today., is still important today.
•His original book contained five models, or His original book contained five models, or
ways of understanding the Church, but ways of understanding the Church, but
later he added a sixth.later he added a sixth.

4. The Church as InstitutionThe Church as Institution
•This model of Church emphasizes the This model of Church emphasizes the
structure and order of the Church. Jesus structure and order of the Church. Jesus
says to Peter, “You are ‘Rock’, and on this says to Peter, “You are ‘Rock’, and on this
rock I will build my Church.”rock I will build my Church.”
•This model emphasizes the hierarchy of This model emphasizes the hierarchy of
the Church.the Church.
•This model of Church is evident in the This model of Church is evident in the
New Testament in the Council of New Testament in the Council of
Jerusalem, when the question of whether Jerusalem, when the question of whether
converts to the Church had to be converts to the Church had to be
circumcised was discussed.circumcised was discussed.

5. The Church as InstitutionThe Church as Institution
•A strength of this model is a clear A strength of this model is a clear
understanding of right and wrong. There understanding of right and wrong. There
are clear roles and guidelines for living the are clear roles and guidelines for living the
faith.faith.
•A weakness of this understanding of the A weakness of this understanding of the
Church is that it can lead to legalism, and Church is that it can lead to legalism, and
an overemphasis upon law.an overemphasis upon law.
•Moreover, it can lead to difficulty among Moreover, it can lead to difficulty among
believers to sort out a priority of laws, or believers to sort out a priority of laws, or
an understanding of the relative an understanding of the relative
importance of laws.importance of laws.

6. The Church as CommunionThe Church as Communion
•This model of Church emphasizes the This model of Church emphasizes the
community nature of the Church. In Paul’s community nature of the Church. In Paul’s
letter to the Corinthians, he refers to the letter to the Corinthians, he refers to the
Church as the Body of Christ.Church as the Body of Christ.
•This model emphasizes the notion that a This model emphasizes the notion that a
parish is a family.parish is a family.
•The Acts of the Apostles emphasizes this The Acts of the Apostles emphasizes this
model when it discusses the community of model when it discusses the community of
believers being of one mind and heart, believers being of one mind and heart,
and sharing possessions in common.and sharing possessions in common.

7. The Church as CommunionThe Church as Communion
•The strength of this model is the creation The strength of this model is the creation
of a strong sense of belonging. The of a strong sense of belonging. The
community is warm and welcoming. community is warm and welcoming.
•The weakness of this model is that the The weakness of this model is that the
community can so lack structure there is community can so lack structure there is
no sense of purpose or direction. There no sense of purpose or direction. There
can be too limited a sense of belief in a can be too limited a sense of belief in a
certain set of principles.certain set of principles.
•Over-emphasis on community can make Over-emphasis on community can make
the group stifling. Conflicts can be the group stifling. Conflicts can be
avoided in the name of belonging.avoided in the name of belonging.

8. The Church as SacramentThe Church as Sacrament
•The Church is seen first and foremost as a The Church is seen first and foremost as a
visible sign of the presence of Christ in the visible sign of the presence of Christ in the
world.world.
•The Church becomes the visible way the The Church becomes the visible way the
Christ works in the world. “Christ is at Christ works in the world. “Christ is at
once manifesting and actualizing the once manifesting and actualizing the
mystery of God’s love for humans.”mystery of God’s love for humans.”
•Emphasizes the visible (human) and Emphasizes the visible (human) and
invisible (spiritual) sides of the Church.invisible (spiritual) sides of the Church.

9. The Church as SacramentThe Church as Sacrament
•The strength of this model is the clear The strength of this model is the clear
connection with a “Catholic way of seeing connection with a “Catholic way of seeing
the world” sacramentally in signs and the world” sacramentally in signs and
symbols.symbols.
•The weakness of this model is that it The weakness of this model is that it
requires a high level of catechesis and requires a high level of catechesis and
theological education. Not always readily theological education. Not always readily
apparent.apparent.

10. The Church as HeraldThe Church as Herald
•The Church is primarily the messenger of The Church is primarily the messenger of
the Gospel. The Church is the voice, the the Gospel. The Church is the voice, the
announcer of the Kingdom of God.announcer of the Kingdom of God.
•The Church proclaims a new reality of The Church proclaims a new reality of
peace, and a reign of God that is both peace, and a reign of God that is both
already here and not yet fully realized.already here and not yet fully realized.
•The members of the Church then are The members of the Church then are
called to be the heralds of this Church.called to be the heralds of this Church.

11. The Church as HeraldThe Church as Herald
•The strength of this model is the heavy The strength of this model is the heavy
emphasis and understanding of emphasis and understanding of
proclaiming the gospel as an important proclaiming the gospel as an important
part of the gospel life.part of the gospel life.
•A weakness of this model is that it can A weakness of this model is that it can
lead to a cerebral understanding of faith. lead to a cerebral understanding of faith.
Also, it can de-emphasize the visible Also, it can de-emphasize the visible
nature of the sacramental life.nature of the sacramental life.

12. The Church as ServantThe Church as Servant
•This model sees the Church as having a This model sees the Church as having a
primary commitment to the creation of primary commitment to the creation of
social justice, which is at the heart of the social justice, which is at the heart of the
gospel mission.gospel mission.
•This is the action which underscores the This is the action which underscores the
importance of the words.importance of the words.
•This is the aspect where the Church This is the aspect where the Church
understands its need to underscore the understands its need to underscore the
words of the gospel with the need to put words of the gospel with the need to put
those words into action.those words into action.

13. The Church as ServantThe Church as Servant
•The strength of this model is that the The strength of this model is that the
Church is filled with believers who live Church is filled with believers who live
authentically their faith. Believers work for authentically their faith. Believers work for
a better world where all receive the things a better world where all receive the things
they deserve.they deserve.
•The weakness is that there can be such The weakness is that there can be such
an emphasis on action, that a faith an emphasis on action, that a faith
dimension is lost. The community can dimension is lost. The community can
simply be a collection of activists with no simply be a collection of activists with no
distinctive belief in God or Jesus.distinctive belief in God or Jesus.

14. The Church as Community of The Church as Community of
DisciplesDisciples
•The Church is seen as a community of The Church is seen as a community of
people who follow Jesus. Not simply people who follow Jesus. Not simply
admiring Jesus, but striving, in everything admiring Jesus, but striving, in everything
they do, to imitate Jesus both in word and they do, to imitate Jesus both in word and
action.action.
•Knowing that Jesus suffered for his Knowing that Jesus suffered for his
beliefs, they too know that suffering may beliefs, they too know that suffering may
be a part of their lives too.be a part of their lives too.
•This understanding also includes personal This understanding also includes personal
and communal accountability. and communal accountability.

15. The Church as Community of The Church as Community of
DisciplesDisciples
•The strength of this model is a stronger The strength of this model is a stronger
sense of connection to Jesus, his mission, sense of connection to Jesus, his mission,
and others who believe.and others who believe.
•A weakness of this model is that it might A weakness of this model is that it might
still become too local, without a strong still become too local, without a strong
emphasis on a universal nature of Church. emphasis on a universal nature of Church.

16. How the models work togetherHow the models work together
•The Church as Sacrament: founded by The Church as Sacrament: founded by
Christ, combining visible (human) with Christ, combining visible (human) with
invisible (divine) dimensions. Baptism, invisible (divine) dimensions. Baptism,
Eucharist and the other sacraments Eucharist and the other sacraments
combine these elements. This leads tocombine these elements. This leads to
•The Church as Community. Strengthened The Church as Community. Strengthened
and called together by the sacraments, a and called together by the sacraments, a
community is created. This leads to . . .community is created. This leads to . . .
•The Church as Herald. The community The Church as Herald. The community
feels compelled to share the good news feels compelled to share the good news
with others. Which leads to . . .with others. Which leads to . . .

17. How the models work togetherHow the models work together
•The Church as Institution. A need to The Church as Institution. A need to
codify the beliefs of the community, so that codify the beliefs of the community, so that
the essential parts of the message are the essential parts of the message are
preserved. Which leads to . . .preserved. Which leads to . . .
•The Church as Servant. A community of The Church as Servant. A community of
believers compelled to put their beliefs into believers compelled to put their beliefs into
action. Which leads to . . .action. Which leads to . . .
•The Church as a Community of Disciples. The Church as a Community of Disciples.
Founded by Jesus, this Church strives to Founded by Jesus, this Church strives to
imitate more and more clearly the life of its imitate more and more clearly the life of its
founder.founder.

18. How the models work togetherHow the models work together
•Which calls the Church more clearly to be Which calls the Church more clearly to be
the visible and invisible reality of its the visible and invisible reality of its
founder.founder.
•This is best understood not as a circle, but This is best understood not as a circle, but
as a spiral, leading us deeper and deeper as a spiral, leading us deeper and deeper
into the mystery of Christ.into the mystery of Christ.