Ecclesiology – Unit One Study Guide

Holy Trinity (Central Mystery of the Catholic faith

Dogma: 3 Divine Persons in one God.
Each of three persons posseses the divine nature.
Person: who? (who is acting, morally responsible agent)
Nature: what? (what is it and what is it capable of doing)
Basis for distinction: relationship with eachother. (ex: father begots the son)
Significance:
1. God is NOT SOLITARY
2. God is RELATIONAL (communion of divine persons)
3. God is LOVE
4. We are CALLED TO SHARE in the life of the Trinity

*Saint = Sanctus
“universal call to holiness”: ALL men and women are called to be saints (our most basic
vocation)

The Church
Definition: The PEOPLE who GOD HAS CALLED TOGETHER from EVERY PART
OF THE EARTH to become CHILDREN OF GOD, MEMBERS OF THE BODY OF
CHRIST, AND TEMPLES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT through FAITH AND BAPTISM
- not a place or structure… it’s a community
- not just any community…its one formed by God
- Church calls all men and omen into communion with God.
- “god… Christ…holy spirit” = members share in the life of the Trinity
- we enter the church through God’s grace (not simply by virtue of human nature)

*qahal (Hebrew) = an assembly of God’s people

ekklesia (greek) = to call out of or to call together
Ecclesiology: The branch of theology devoted to the study of the church

-The formal structures of the church preserve the essential truths.

-These take the form of creeds doctrines, and rituals
-ensure the faith given by Christ survives even when people or the Church fall
into sin, keep us from picking and choosing our faith.
-make ourcommunal relationship with God visible and tangible
-Magisterium defines and interprets these formal structures (apostolic succession)

Faith
Definition: a GIFT OF GOD and a HUMAN ACT by which the believer gives…
1. Personal adherance to God
2. Invites his response
3. And freely ascents to the WHOLE truth that God has revealed and the Church
proposes for belief
-Gift of God, Human act: an act of the intellect commanded by the will and assisted by
grace.
FAITH + CHURCH: necessary connection.

Marks of the Church

(One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic) – (Only Hold Cats n Apples)
ONE: (unity)
- The church is one in her origin (Christ founded), purpose (unite w/ god nd one
another), source/life (unity of the Holy Spirit), Faith, Worship, and leadership
(pastoral leadership in apostolic succession)
HOLY:
- Because it is the body of Christ – the Holy one of God
- “holiness”: to be set apart
- All holiness comes from God – Church is holy/ set apart because of its connection
to God
- Doesn’t mean the church is perfect (Church doesn’t equal kingdom of God)
Three ways the church supports holiness:
1. Moral teachings of the Church – challenges us to do what is right and helps us
stand apart from sin
2. Evangelical Counsels: Poverty, chastity, and obedience – aim is to help someone
remove everything from their life which might hinder the ability to love as Christ
loved. Each stand in opposition to something which can raw us away from God.
3. Sacraments: point to life of holiness and give us the grace which we need to give
holiness concrete form in our lives
CATHOLIC:
- Means “universal” and “in totality”: it is whole, and complete. There is nothing
good, virtuous, no spirtitual gift, wisdom, or cure for sin that exists outside of the
Church but not inside it.
- Also means that it is for ALL people.
- Has a role everywhere and in every situaition – no region or culture the church
can’t belong
- Also means that the Church is based upon the whole of revelation
APOSTOLIC:
- means “having been sent”
- The church is apostolic because it has been sent into the world by Christ
- Church remains faithful to its apostolic nature in three ways:
1. By recognizing that it is built upon the foundation of the apostles who were
appointed by Jesus
2. By following the guidance of the Holy Spirit; adhering to the foundation laid by
the apostles (written in the scriptures); and faithfully interpreting, living, and
teaching what the apostles taught.
3. Apostalic Succesion:By accepting the continued guidance of the apostles through
their successors and, in particular, by accepting the guidance of Peter’s successor:
the pope.
APOSTALIC SUCCESION:
- has its roots in the history of the church – protected against gnosticism
- also preserves Christianity today as much as it did in the early church – opposes
 picking and choosing religion, relying only on scripture alone, syncretism, etc.
- Pope keeps the church unified

Book Vocab.

-Ecumenism: The movement and activities which seek to promote religious unity within
the Christian church and among all the people of the world

-Nicene Creed: A statement of the Church’s beliefs issued at the first ecumenical council
at Nicaea in 325 and later confirmed at the Council of Constantinople in 381. It taught
that Jesus is of the same substance as God and thus divine.

-Marks of the Church: One, holy, catholic, and apostalic

-Idolatry: The practice of honoring or revering a creature instead of God, whether it be

gods or demons (for example, Satanism), poer, pleasure, reace, ancestors, the state,
money, etc.

-Evangelical Counsels: Poverty, chastity, and obedience. The aim of the avangelical
counsels is to help a person remove everything from his or her life which might hinder
the ability to love as Christ loved. They are vows taken by sisters, brothers, and
relic=gious priests, but they are also recommended for all the faithful.

-Gnosticism: One of the earliest Christian heresies. It stressed the importance of secret
knowledge passed on to a select few. It denied the goodness of creation and the material
world.

-Syncretism: The practice of blending all religions and faith traditions into one.