Believing in Community

Two important events this year make it clear that ecclesiology still
deserves a prominent place on the theological agenda. Pope Francis
announced the creation of a council of cardinals to assist him in
governing the world-wide Catholic Church. During the next assembly of
the World Council of Churches the long awaited Faith & Order statement
on The Church: Towards a Common Vision will be officially
received. In this volume more than 40 authors (among whom well-known
theologians such as Andre Birmele, William Cavanaugh, Michael Fahey,
Bradford Hinze, Veli-Matti Kaerkkaeinen, Paul Murray, Bernard Prusak, Ioan
Sauca, Myriam Wijlens, Susan Wood and many others) engage in an
ecumenical reflection on the Church, focusing on four major themes. The
book starts with several essays by authors representing different fields
in the humanities dealing - often from a postmodern perspective - with
'Community, Individualization, Belonging'. The second part of the book,
'Strengthening Roman Catholic Ecclesiology', offers reflections on
important topics such as the sinfulness of the Church, the
sacramentality of the Church, lay ministries, theologians and the
magisterium, to end with contributions on eschatological ecclesiology
and the link between ecclesiology and the Catholic Church in dialogue
with people of other faiths. In the next part Protestant and Orthodox
scholars offer contributions to the renewal of their own ecclesiologies.
In the final and longest part of the volume the reader is provided with
'Reflections on the Future of the Ecumenical Dialogue'.