Eric Plumer’s The Development of Ecclesiology: Early Church to the Reformation documents the historical path of the Church and the many responses to external and internal assault upon the faith. The assaults generally took the form of heresy, schism and persecution1. The Patristic writings in the early Church, including Clement 1, show that we began to seek unity as a response to many movements against heresy and schism inside the church and persecution from outside the church. Initially the drive towards unity helped to solidify the universality of the true Church. As Plumer wrote: “For Irenaeus, the unity and uniformity of Catholic doctrine stands in vivid contrast with the mutual contradictions of the competing Gnostic systems2.”
This sought after unity and uniformity later created difficulties in the development of the papacy. Unfortunately, the tragic errors involved in reaching too far towards uniformity caused deep and lasting schisms with both the Eastern Churches and the Reformation movement. As characteristic of all of the readings in this course of study to date, he also points out that in the midst of all of this turmoil and tragedy there exists a certain spontaneity, vitality and creativity of the Spirit in the Church3.
Michael J. Himes continues the historical account in The Development of Ecclesiology: Modernity to the Twentieth Century. He notes that throughout our history the Church’s self identity takes portions of the dominant societal structures of the world4. He heavily documents several critical attacks against centralized Papal authority. As each of these attacks fall, the definition of our ecclesiology is further refined and we are exemplified as the continuous presence of the incarnate Christ in history5.
Despite repeated internal attempts at further uniformity of polity6 culminating in the council of Vatican I, our faith continues to refine itself with an inexplicable, yet palpable “creative tension”. As the church developed a balance between Christological and pneumatological ecclesiology, it also prepared a re-awakened knowledge of patristic studies and liturgical history which were cultivated in response to the overreach towards uniformity.7 Vatican II then helped restore the original roles of all members of the Body of Christ, with a new strength of purpose and understanding. As Himes’ correctly stated, “There must always be images and models of the Church held in creative tension with one another.8” Truly this message is singularly important for all future ecclesiological development.
1. Eric Plumer, “The Development of Ecclesiology: Early Church to the Reformation” The Gift of the Church A Textbook on Ecclesiology (2000) 24.
2. Ibid. 27.
3. ibid. 43-44.
4. Michael J. Himes “The Development of Ecclesiology: Modernity to the Twentieth Century” The Gift of the Church A Textbook on Ecclesiology (2000) 50.
5. ibid. 58.
6. ibid. 60.
7. ibid. 65.
8. ibid. 66.
