Syllabus
An introduction to the whole treatise 1) The orientation and the nature of the subject 2) The place of ecclesiology in the structure of systematic theology 3) The object of ecclesiology 4) The history of the church and the history of ecclesiology
I) Positive theology 1) Description of the church
A) Biblical images of the church and the kingdom of God
B) The body of Christ
C) The temple of the Spirit
D) God´s people 2) The church as mystery
A) Mystery – truth
B) Mystery – reality
II) Speculative theology 1) Definition of the church
A) The nominal definition of the Church
B) The personality of the Church 2) The marks of the church
A) The church is one
B) The church is holy
C) The church is catholic
D) The church is apostolic
E) Incorruptibility of the Church
Annotation
The course of Ecclesiology approaches the mystery of the church from the perspective of the systematic theology aspiring to connect it with the whole of the Christian faith.
The course is divided into the two main parts: The first part explores biblical sources and contents of the Tradition from the beginning to the modern era. The second part proposes a theological synthesis of the certain topics (definition and personality of the church) and provides an interpretation of the four marks of the church defined by the Creed (unity, holiness, catholicity and apostolicity).