Universal…
The
source of authority needs to be universal not only geographically, but also
chronologically. In other words, it transcends the cultural trends and
intellectual fashions of any particular time. Every church or ecclesial
structure other than the Catholic Church is limited, either by its historical
foundations or by its cultural and national identity.
For
example, Russian Orthodox, The Church of England and the Southern Baptist
Convention find it hard to transcend their national identity while the churches
of the Protestant Reformed tradition struggle to transcend the particular
cultural issues that surround their foundation. When they do move away from
their foundations they usually find themselves at sea amidst the fashions and
trends of the present day. Often the
result is yet one more division in the Body of Christ.
… Local
For
a universal authority system to be valid, it also must be expressed locally. Catholicism
speaks with a universal voice, but it is also as local as St. Patrick’s Church and
Fr. Magee on the corner of Chestnut Street. Not only does the universal Church
have a local outlet, but also that outlet has a certain autonomy that allows it
to be flexible in its application of the universal authority.
Often
a church’s universal reach will be hampered by its originating cultural context.
The center and majority of Islam’s population is still in the place of its
origin—the Middle East. The original lands that have been the demographic
centers of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism have remained so.
By
contrast, Catholicism has adopted culturally diverse forms coupled with
insights from the Hebrew, Greek, and European cultures, and over the next
hundred years will be further shaped by Africa, Latin America, and Asia.
No comments:
Post a Comment