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In Christian theology, ecclesiology is the study of doctrine about the Church itself as a community and about the churches own view of its mission and role.

That means that ecclesiology looks at the role of the church in salvation, at its origin, its relationship to the historical Christ, its discipline, its destiny (see Eschatology) and its leadership.

In addition to describing a broad discipline of theology, ecclesiology may be used in the specific sense of a particular church or denomination’s character, self-described or otherwise. This is the sense of the word in such phrases as Roman Catholic ecclesiology, Lutheran ecclesiology, and ecumenical ecclesiology.

Questions asked by ecclesiology[change | change source]

Ecclesiology asks the questions:

  • Who is the Church? Is it a visible or earthly corporation -- a "church" in the sense of a specific denomination or institution, for instance? Or is it the body of all believing Christians regardless of their denominational differences and disunity? What is the relationship between living Christians and departed Christians (the "cloud of witnesses" Epistle to the Hebrews 12:1)-- do they (those on Earth and those in Heaven) constitute together the Church?
  • What is the authority of the Christian church? Who gets to interpret the doctrines of the Church? Is the organizational structure itself, either in a single corporate body, or generally within the range of formal church structures, an independent vehicle of revelation or of God's grace?
  • What is the ultimate destiny of the Church in Christian eschatology?

Other pages[change | change source]

Beliefs that define the Church[change | change source]

Rituals that define the Church[change | change source]

Topics in church government[change | change source]

Other websites[change | change source]