One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church
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- This article is about the universal religious institution. For general information about Christianity or information about specific Christian denominations, see the appropriate page. For other uses, see Church (disambiguation).
The term Christian Church, Catholic Church or One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church[1], as it was known beginning in 110 AD,[2] refers to the "universal company of believers". It means every person who has ever accepted or ever will accept the Christian Faith. The idea is that all these people together make up one "body" called "the Church". "The Church" (in this sense) is not thought of by Christians as an ordinary human organisation. It is thought of as being part of God's way to bring people close to him. "The Church" was begun by Jesus in the 1st century AD. It is called "The Christian Church" because Jesus was called "The Christ" (or holy one from God). "Churches" as Christian organisations were begun by Jesus' followers.
Today there are many churches in the sense of "church organisations". The different organised churches are called Christian denominations. The main Christian beliefs are held by all the larger denominations and are often said aloud by Christian people in a "statement of faith" which is called the Creed. The Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican Communion and other Protestant churches all believe that God is the "creator and eternal father of all things", that Jesus was the "Christ" and son of God who died to save people from the punishment for their sins, and that the Holy Spirit is God's gift to help and comfort Christian people. Christians believe that these are three parts of One God.
There are many other beliefs that are different between different denominations. These differences have sometimes caused arguments and have caused the organised church to split into denominations. The differents opinions are called controversies.
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[change] Controversy over the definition of the Christian Church
One important controversy is simply the definition of the Christian or Catholic Church. To some degree this controversy comes from the Nicene Creed with its words One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church which means universal church. Many denominations believe that all denominations are part of a world-wide Christian Church and think that the most important thing is the "common faith" and not a common organisation or tradition. ("Common faith" means "the faith that is the same". The word "common" doesn't mean "ordinary" in this sense.)
For many hundreds of years, the Roman Catholic Church has regarded itself as the only Christian Church and has called itself the Catholic (or "universal") church. In other words, only those people who were within the organisation of the Roman Catholic Church were believed to belong to the Universal Church. In the 20th century this view began to change and in the late 20th century there was a strong movement within parts of the Roman Catholic Church to reach out to other denominations.[3] The Eastern Orthodox Church has thought of itself in the same way, but in the late 20th century there has been much more discussion between the Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic, Lutheran and Anglican Churches. Some smaller denominations such as Jehovah's Witnesses also believe that they are the one and only true Christian Church.
[change] History
[change] Terminology
The English word church comes from the Greek κυριακή (kyriake) meaning "Master's (house)", or "Lord's (house)".[4][5] At a time when Latin was the main language of the church in England, the word "church" was used only for a church building. But when English became the language of the Church of England in the 1500s, the word "church" also came to mean "the Christian Church" in the wide sense.
The Latin word ecclesia is a transliteration of the Greek word εκκλησια. It means "assembly" (a big gathering of people) and is the traditional word in Roman Catholicism for the Christian Church as a whole and also for individual church congregations. Most Romance languages use this word. This Latin word is sometimes used in English as well.
The phrase One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church appears in the Nicene Creed (μίαν, ἁγίαν, καθολικὴν καὶ ἀποστολικὴν Ἐκκλησίαν) and, in part, in the Apostles' Creed ("the holy catholic church", ἁγίαν καθολικὴν ἐκκλησίαν).[6][7] The phrase is intended to set forth the four marks, or identifying signs, of the Christian Church — unity, holiness, universality, and apostolicity — and is based on the premise that all true Christians form a single united group founded by the apostles.[8]
The terms orthodox Church and orthodox faith (not to be confused with the modern term "Eastern Orthodox" with a capital 'O') have been used to distinguish what is considered the true Church from groups that are considered heretical. The term became common in context with the doctrine of the Nicene Creed. It is often still used to distinguish between beliefs consistent with this first "official" doctrine of faith and those outside of this doctrine.[9]
The term body of Christ (cf. 1 Cor 12:27)means the total community of Christians. Then Jesus Christ is seen as head[10] of the Church.
The phrase Church Militant and Church Triumphant is used to express the concept of a united Church that exists also in Heaven.[11] The term Church Militant (Ecclesia Militans) means all Christians who are living. The term Church Triumphant (Ecclesia Triumphans) means all who are in Heaven. Within the Roman Catholic Church people speak also of Church Suffering (Ecclesia Penitens) or Church Expectant (Ecclesia Expectans) and mean the Christians presently in Purgatory.
The term Communion of Saints means that all Christians have the same faith and that all are bound together through prayer regardless of the physical separation or separation by death. In Roman Catholic theology this is differentiated from the Church Militant and Church Triumphant because it also includes the Church Suffering.[12]
[change] See also
[change] Notes
- ↑ as it is called in the Nicene Creed
- ↑ Catholic Information Network: Corunum Apologetic Web Site[1]
- ↑ Catechism of the Catholic Church, 870
- ↑ church, Robertson's Words for a Modern Age: A Dictionary of Latin and Greek Words used in Modern English Vocabulary[2]
- ↑ Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2006[[3]]
- ↑ Nicene Creed, The Seven Ecumenical Councils, Christian Classics Ethereal Library[4]
- ↑ Apostle's Creed, Christian Classics Ethereal Library[5]
- ↑ Kenneth D. Whitehead, Four Marks of the Church, EWTN Global Catholic Network[6]
- ↑ Michael Hines, CONSTANTINE AND THE CHRISTIAN STATE, Church History for the Masses[7]
- ↑ Saint Paul, the Apostle: The body of Christ, Encyclopedia Britannica[8]
- ↑ Karl Adam, THE SPIRIT OF CATHOLICISM, Eternal Word Television Network, retrieved May 24, 2007[9]
- ↑ communion of saints, Encyclopedia Britannica[10]
[change] References
- University of Virginia: Dictionary of the History of Ideas: Christianity in History, retrieved May 10, 2007[11]
- University of Virginia: Dictionary of the History of Ideas: Church as an Institution, retrieved May 10, 2007[12]
- Christianity and the Roman Empire, Ancient History Romans, BBC Home, retrieved May 10, 2007[13]
- Orthodox Church, MSN Encarta, retrieved May 10, 2007[14]
- Catechism of the Catholic Church[15]
- Robert G. Stephanopoulos. The Greek (Eastern) Orthodox Church in America. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. Retrieved on 2007-08-01. [16]
- Mark Gstohl, Theological Perspectives of the Reformation, The Magisterial Reformation, retrived May 10, 2007[17]
- J. Faber, The Catholicity of the Belgic Confession, Spindle Works, The Canadian Reformed Magazine 18 (Sept. 20-27, Oct. 4-11, 18, Nov. 1, 8, 1969) - [18]
- Boise State University: History of the Crusades: The Fourth Crusade[19]
- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: ARTICLE 9 "I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH": 830-831[20]: Provides Roman Catholic interpretations of the term catholic
- Kenneth D. Whitehead, Four Marks of the Church, EWTN Global Catholic Network[21]
- Unity (as a Mark of the Church), New Advent[22]
- Apostolic Succession, The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-05.[23]
- Gerd Ludemann, Heretics: The Other Side of Early Christianity, Westminster John Knox Press, 1st American ed edition (August 1996), ISBN-10: 0664220851, ISBN-13: 978-0664220853
- From Jesus to Christ: Maps, Archaeology, and Sources: Chronology, PBS, retrieved May 19, 2007[24]
