Towards a Pneumatological-Ecclesiology: Outside the “Two Lungs of the Church”

• Authors: Timothy Lim T.N.
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

This paper critiques the framing of the pneumatological underpinning of ecclesiology as an Orthodox-Catholic conversation. The context for the Joint Commission for Orthodox-Catholic dialogue warrants the use of the metaphor “two lungs of the church” by official church leaders, ecclesiologists and theologians to speak of the Spirit’s work in and between both communions. However, I want to call attention to the pneumatological and ecclesiological problems in the use of the image “two lungs of the church.” If the Holy Spirit breathes upon and through the Body of Christ, reading the Spirit’s operation in the church (pneumatological-ecclesiology) cannot ignore, and much less dismiss or absorb (either explicitly or implicitly), the charismas outside of the Roman Catholic Church and Orthodoxy. Protestant denominations, such as Baptists, Brethren, Evangelicals, Presbyterians, Pentecostals and Charismatics are also contexts for studying the Spirit’s work in the churches. The paper concludes by proffering a mapping of recent pneumatological contributions of other Christian denominations and churches to invite theologians to assist in reframing or reconceptualizing a more appropriate anatomic metaphor for the Spirit’s work in and among the churches together.

Keywords

EN

Believers’ Church (Baptist and Brethren) Pneumatology; Evangelical Pneumatology; Presbyterian/Reformed Pneumatology; Pentecostal/Charismatic Renewal Pneumatology; Orthodox-Catholic Pneumatological-Ecclesiology as the Two Lungs of the Church; Pneumatological- Ecclesiology

• Publisher: Sciendo
• Journal: Review of Ecumenical Studies Sibiu
• Year: 2015
• Volume: 7
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 211-229

Dates

published

2015-08-01

online

2015-10-29

Contributors

author

Timothy Lim T.N.

• PhD, Adjunct Lecturer, Regent University School of Divinity, Virginia Beach, VA, USA.; Tutor in Theology, King’s Evangelical Divinity School, University of Chester, UK; Faith and Order Commission Member, Virginia Council of Churches, VA, USA. Adress: 1000 Regent University Drive, VA Beach, Virginia 23464

Identifiers

DOI

10.1515/ress-2015-0016