Nielsen’s Nook

In this final part of our consideration of catholicity presented by the fourth century bishop Cyril of Jerusalem, we turn from considering geographic ubiquity, theological worldview and discipline to the conception of the church as a universal hospital for sinners. Again, for convenience, I have included the quote from Cyril that we’re considering:

The Church is called ‘catholic’ or ‘universal’ because it has spread throughout the entire world, from one end of the earth to the other. Again, it is called catholic because it teaches fully and unfailingly all the doctrines which ought to be brought to men’s knowledge, whether concerned with visible or invisible things, with the realities of heaven or the things of earth. Another reason for the name ‘catholic’ is that the Church brings under religious obedience all classes of men, rulers and subjects, learned and unlettered. Finally, it deserves the title ‘catholic’ because it heals and cures without restriction every type of sin that can be committed in soul or in body, and because it possesses within itself every kind of virtue that can be named, whether exercised in actions or in words or in some kind of spiritual charism [(i.e., spiritual gift)].^[1]

Hospital for Sinners

When the catholic church is on its mark in any given locale, it serves as a hospital for sinners. It is a place where we may come and expect to be changed with a view towards loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and our neighbor as ourselves. This requires positive shaping (theological worldview) and negative formation (discipline without distinction). These two elements serve as the Doctor’s instruments that convert and heal.

Conclusion

These aspects of the church expressed locally are all done in concert with the rest of the church catholic. If they are done without this jugular connection, the visible lessening of the reality of the gospel occurs, for Christ did not come only to renew those in your church or mine, but to bring cosmic restoration, catholic renewal of all that is. The local and the catholic are as rain drops in a rainstorm. If one takes the former out of the context of the later it ceases to be rain and is reduced to mere moisture.

 

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^[1] The Catechetical Instructions of Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem, d. 386, Catechesis 18, 23-5: Patrologia Graeca  33, 1043-50. Tr. The Office of Readings according to the Roman Rite (Slough, 1983), p. 926. As cited in G. R. Evans and J. Robert Wright, The Anglican Tradition : A Handbook of Sources (London: SPCK, 1991), 27.

In this second part of a three part post, we continue reflecting on a fourth century A.D. quote from Cyril of Jerusalem regarding catholicity (included again for your reference) that laid out four aspects of catholicity. The first we considered was that of geographic ubiquity. Here we’ll consider the aspects of theological world view and discipline as something that circumscribe catholic church life.

The Church is called ‘catholic’ or ‘universal’ because it has spread throughout the entire world, from one end of the earth to the other. Again, it is called catholic because it teaches fully and unfailingly all the doctrines which ought to be brought to men’s knowledge, whether concerned with visible or invisible things, with the realities of heaven or the things of earth. Another reason for the name ‘catholic’ is that the Church brings under religious obedience all classes of men, rulers and subjects, learned and unlettered. Finally, it deserves the title ‘catholic’ because it heals and cures without restriction every type of sin that can be committed in soul or in body, and because it possesses within itself every kind of virtue that can be named, whether exercised in actions or in words or in some kind of spiritual charism [(i.e., spiritual gift)].^[1]

Theological Worldview

Historically the church has sought to form the minds of God’s people to the mind of Christ. There are certainly times when that was obviously generally not the case, while there are glorious moments when we see a more pervasive Christian worldview at the fore. How we think about this world, its resources, heaven, hell, judgment, death, money and time for example matter and are integrally related to discipleship or “religious obedience.”

Discipleship of All Kinds and Classes of People

Religious obedience has always been a mark of the catholic church. This has never been more evident than today by remotion. Many of the visible churches in the United States have failed to discipline (lat. disciplinare, to teach) their members and especially their leaders. Consequently, those churches slide off into a slough of despond and self-absorption; this results in anti-catholic events such as schism. Joyful religious obedience is then something of the atmosphere of catholic church life. Remove or pollute it and suffocation, retardation, and destruction result to all members without distinction.

Look for part 3, the final part, tomorrow…

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^[1] The Catechetical Instructions of Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem, d. 386, Catechesis 18, 23-5: Patrologia Graeca  33, 1043-50. Tr. The Office of Readings according to the Roman Rite (Slough, 1983), p. 926. As cited in G. R. Evans and J. Robert Wright, The Anglican Tradition : A Handbook of Sources (London: SPCK, 1991), 27.

In about 347 A.D. Cyril of Jerusalem laid out a succinct list of four connotations that were circumscribed by the notion of catholicity:

The Church is called ‘catholic’ or ‘universal’ because it has spread throughout the entire world, from one end of the earth to the other. Again, it is called catholic because it teaches fully and unfailingly all the doctrines which ought to be brought to men’s knowledge, whether concerned with visible or invisible things, with the realities of heaven or the things of earth. Another reason for the name ‘catholic’ is that the Church brings under religious obedience all classes of men, rulers and subjects, learned and unlettered. Finally, it deserves the title ‘catholic’ because it heals and cures without restriction every type of sin that can be committed in soul or in body, and because it possesses within itself every kind of virtue that can be named, whether exercised in actions or in words or in some kind of spiritual charism [(i.e., spiritual gift)].^[1]

Geographic Ubiquity

While the invisible church is no doubt spread across the face of this earth in places like Egypt and Iraq, Nigeria and Uganda, India and Uzbekistan, China and Laos, Brazil and Mexico, and Britain and the United States, Cyril’s ecclesiology does not so readily allow for the abstraction of the visible from the invisible. It is certainly the invisible church that is Christ’s instrument to create in us a theological world-view, to disciple us and to heal us from our many sins. However, it is that in the context of the visible church.

So catholicity is very important because the visible is connected to the invisible ostensibly. Our presence as a church in the area in which we live does say something about the invisible church (may we not misrepresent it!). The connectedness of all who are part of the invisible church via Jesus is to be demonstrated in the relation of the organization and attitude of the visible church. In other words, while the visible church is bound together and throttled forward by polity and committees, these are but instrumental vehicles that correspond to the invisible catholic work of the Spirit. Nevertheless, independent churches would be inconsistent with what Cyril seem to articulate here because they do not visibly demonstrate the invisible connection to the church worldwide.

Look for part 2 tomorrow…

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^[1] The Catechetical Instructions of Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem, d. 386, Catechesis 18, 23-5: Patrologia Graeca  33, 1043-50. Tr. The Office of Readings according to the Roman Rite (Slough, 1983), p. 926. As cited in G. R. Evans and J. Robert Wright, The Anglican Tradition : A Handbook of Sources (London: SPCK, 1991), 27.