Order Description

Compare and contrast a number of ecclessiologies in the Catholic Church, how they differ and want elements they share.

Read Richard McBrien’s, ‘The Church: The Evolution of Catholicism’ (provided) and identify several prominent ecclesiologies of the New Testament period. How were they different from each other, and what elements did they share?

McBrien states ‘Throughout the period covered by the New Testament there were both diversity and development in the various local churches … On the other hand, one can also find some degree of unity within the various ecclesiologies of the New Testament’. (McBrien, 23) Diversity and development also marked the post-biblical period before Vatican I.