Dr. K. summarizes for us rather elegantly, the distinctive points of emphasis of the eastern (orthodox) ecclesiology, which are: of a trinitarian view (according to Tsirpanlis) where the Father and son are always involved in the activities of the spirit; a mystical and yet concrete pneumatology; gradual, diachronic sanctification/deification (becoming "like" God), free will discussed in terms of a synergistic "cooperation" between the human and divine; not in mutually exclusive categories of merit and grace. The church, is seen as an organic icon of the Trinity- in its expression of both unity and diversity. Soteriology is collective, "We know that when any of us falls, he falls alone; but no one is saved alone. he is saved in the Church, as a member of it and in union with all its other members."(Ware, Orthodox Church, p.240)In his exposition of the Roman Catholic ecclesiology, Dr. K. relays the significance of the Lumen Gentium as one of its most important recent documents: "Perhaps the most important development of Vatican II was the replacement of the old societas perfecta, institutional-hierarchic ecclesiology with the dynamic 'people of God' notion in which the church is seen first of all as a pilgrim people on the way to the heavenly city.
In Lutheran ecclesiology, the tension of simul justus et peccator is outlined as what shapes the doctrine of the church community of Luther's soteriology. The adherence to Scripture, and the tenets therein, of the priesthood of all believers, and the imagery of the church as a sanctuary for the "incurably sick" is held as theological basis for caring the neighbor as Christ cares.
Reformed ecclesiology sees more of a covenantal language, with Calvin's distinction of the "Church Visible" versus the "Church Invisible," placing an emphasis on the adherence to the visible church and the belief therein as an aspect of sacramentality that honors God in reverence to one another. Faith was central to the sacraments, the efficacy is continued from Luther's tradition, on faith alone.
Chapter 5 delves into Free Church Ecclesiologies, which stress the fellowship of believers, spirit of ecumenicity, radical reformation, unmediated access to God, and affirmation of the gifts of individuals in a priesthood of all believers. "Holy living has always been of great concern to the ethically oriented mentality of the Free churches. The Anabaptist churches have had 'the ban,' by means of which church members could be excluded from the congregation." (67)
In Chapter 6, Pentecostal/Charismatic ecclesiology is discussed, with an aspect of dynamicity to highlight its features, with the experiential aspect of God's supernatural mystery being central to the worship, which is "another way of saying 'presence of God.'" (71) It is however, rather obscurantist to say the least, to try to define "pentecostal" or "charismatic" as a fully developed ecclesiology. These have shared tendencies to emphasize the Holy Spirit and a more pragmatic pneumatology; participatory nature in worship; empowerment of the laity; importance of the local church; experience of charismatic actions of God; restoration of 'experiential' apostolicty to the whole church; and seamless indigenization to host cultures.
The next movement is one of ecumenical ecclesiologies, which addresses the historically divisive, imposed schisms and their ensuing diversity with the question on ecclesiality for the sake of a unified confession of the one church. The reasoning is simple, "There is one Christ, therefore one church."
In the second section of this book Dr. K. examines some of the contemporary ecclesiologies such as Communion Ecclesiology of John Zizioulas, who taking from the economic Trinity and interactivity of each persons of the Godhead, to be the orthodox expression of the oikonomia Eucharist and communion. "Zizioulas speks of the church as 'instituted' by Christ and 'constituted' by the Spirit."
Although already mentioned earlier, "charismatic" is not an ecclesiology perse, but a characteristic definition of churches that are in the process of renewal. Hans Küng offered some radical tenets that run contrary to those of the Reformation churches: A redefinition of the terms as "invisible" church and an affirmation of the church as is: "A real church made up of real people cannot possibly be invisible. The visible church is the true church, not the false church. Nevertheless, the church is simultaneously visible and invisible." (105 communio santorum- an ecclesiology that stands closer to that of Luther).
In the arena of ecumenics, Wolhart Pannenberg stands as one of the more important ecclesiologists. Noted for a significant contribution to the document, Baptist, Eucharist and Ministry, Pannenberg argues for a unified church for the service of humankind, under the Holy Spirit. "The church then, is the anticipation of the kingdom of God; therefore its essence is constituted by the kingdom, of which it is the sign." (117)
Messianic Ecclesiology may have been the seed that sprouts the emergent movement. Jürgen Moltmann calls for a contextual ecclesiology- drawing from various interests of Pentecostal/Charismatic movements and liberation theology, offering a theology that is "not only contemporary but also contextually relevant." Main features highlighted by Dr. K. are: Christocentrism, egalitarian fellowship (constituted of equal persons with a downplay on hierarchy), invitational "church for others." and a community fostered by the Holy Spirit.
Miroslav Volf takes cues from the ontological Trinity to constitute the church as its image, in what is called "Participatory Ecclesiology." Volf explains church in terms of the presence of the Spirit of Christ- in other words, where He is, so is his church. The church is also, "an assembly of those gathered in Jesus' name." Clustered together in the category of "free churches," the presence of the Holy Spirit as well as the empowerment of the laity are major points of focus.
James McClendon Jr.'s "Baptist Ecclesiology" is perhaps summarized best in the following quote: "In shaping its teaching, the church seeks to be simply church, so that Christians may be a people who find in Christ their center, in the Spirit their communion, in God's reign their rule in life. The convictions that makes such a common life possible fall into three broad, overlapping categories, those that inform Christian living (moral convictions), those that display the substance of Christian faith (doctrinal convictions), and those that open out into Christian vision or world-view (philosophical convictions). (142)
Lesslie Newbigin represents the camp of "Missionary Ecclesiology," where the "understanding of mission is based on the idea that the essential nature of the church is missionary, rather than mission being a task given the church.
In part three of the book, Dr. K. delves into the contextual ecclesiologies of Asia (namely Japan and its emphasis on the non-church: the church that rather is stripped of its institutional aspects) , Latin America and the "Base Ecclesial Communities in Latin America" (175) with its grass roots "bottom-up" approach to church and the necessities of the poor, featuring its liberation theology. And others include: Feminist Churches with the correctives to what is deemed an ongoing gender-biased oppression of the female in the history of the church; African Independent Churches with a certain retention of primal spirituality over and against the Westernization of tribal cultures; and Renewal Ecclesiologies to a full, Global Ecclesiology of the "World Church."
It is a very concise and informative volume that treats a wide range of ecclesiological perspectives, and major points of distinction that in the end do blend together to a few non-negotiable emphasis on God: God of Creation, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, relating to a portion of humanity that identifies itself as set apart, for the love of God to continue through its existence, and practices.
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