Forma ecclesiae
Forma ecclesiae

Principles of a Renewed Method of Fundamental Ecclesiology

Summary/Abstract: This paper focuses on a new method of fundamental ecclesiology. A call for a re¬newed method in this field has found its roots not only in the event of the Second Vatican Council but also in the ecumenical movement, in the historical consciousness and in a new shape of presenting the Church as a "faith space". Therefore, in the paper, I will first at¬tempt to demonstrate the limits of a "controversial theology" and its method of defending the Catholic Church. Then I discuss how progress in the field of the philosophy of knowledge undermined a rethinking of method in ecclesiology. Finally, I propose certain principles for a renewed method of fundamental ecclesiology. These principles lead us to an important question about forma ecclesiae, i.e. the relevance of studying crucial Church structures in their historical development. Such an approach will help us discover clear foundations on which a systematic ecclesiology could and should be built.

• Details
• Contents