STRUCTURAL CREDIBILITY OF THE CHURCH IN REV. MARIAN RUSECKI'S ECCLESIOLOGICAL THOUGHT Cover Image

Strukturalna wiarygodność Kościoła w eklezjologicznych poglądach ks. Mariana Ruseckiego
STRUCTURAL CREDIBILITY OF THE CHURCH IN REV. MARIAN RUSECKI'S ECCLESIOLOGICAL THOUGHT

Author(s): Piotr Królikowski
Subject(s): Christian Theology and Religion, Theology and Religion
Published by: Instytut Teologiczno-Pastoralny im. św. Józefa Sebastiana Pelczara w Rzeszowie
Keywords: Church; fundamental ecclesiology; conceptions of the Church; credibility of the Church; structural credibility; argumentation

Summary/Abstract: This article presents question of structural credibility of the Church based on ecclesiological thought of rev. Marian Rusecki, professor of fundamental theology and the founder of Fundamental Theology School of Lublin. Though Rusecki did not work out fully comprehensive fundamental ecclesiology, he in his researches investigate many issues connected with credibility of Church. First of all Rusecki pointed to the divine-human structure of Church. He motivates this structure in reference to the paschal ecclesiogenesis, which in turn indicates on essence of the Church – the communicaton of Revelation and the salvation in time and space. Rusecki introduced theological conceptions of Church: salvation-historical, semeiotical, personalistic. They serve to show realization Church's essence in temporary, spatial and deep (from below) dimensions. These dimensions and these conceptions of the Church are connected each other and indicate that the Church is credible and true. Salvation-historical conception presents Church as herald of Revelation in temporal dimension. This article shows temporary frames of Church and its permanent identity and continuity in time from creation to the end of time. Attention was turned on Tradition, Magisterium Ecclesiae and permanent ecclesiogenesis which make possible communication of Revelation by the Church in time. Semiotical conception of the Church refers to spatial dimension and shows Church as salvific community, as sign of Christ, and sign of salvation. It has two breadths – Church membership and relationship to the Church. In deep (from below) dimension, based on of personalistic conception, the Church is shown as the environment in which the man can fulfill his orientation towards transcendence and fully realize his personal existence in Jesus Christ and His Church. Church as witness of Revelation and Christ leads a man to conversion and to faith, and include him in the sacramental sign of the Church. Church has transformative influence on man and on the various dimensions of his life. But members of the Church in their live are witness of Jesus Christ and the Church too. This part of article presents also axiological argumentation for credibility of the Church. These dimensions of Church portray fulfillment Church's essence and realization of its mission, thereby structural credibility of Church becomes justify. Article pays attention also on conditions of the cognizance of the structural credibility of the Church.

  • Issue Year: 2015
  • Issue No: 22
  • Page Range: 177-210
  • Page Count: 34
  • Language: Polish
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