Religion: How Universal Is the Christian Church?

¶ … Religion: How Universal is the Christian Church?

Given all the variations of Christian denominations and different religions, how is it that the Church can still claim to be universal? "The name refers on one hand to the inclination towards uniformity (universus) existing in different things, in virtue of which different things may be represented by a single idea applicable to all in the same way and on the other hand to this one idea which is applicable to the different things (unum vs. alia)" (Universals pg). As used in the Nicene Creed, Catholic means 'universal' or 'all-embracing,' thus, Jesus Christ intended his church to embrace all people, just as he embraced all people, demonstrating in his own ministry to Greeks and Jews, rich and poor, woman and man, free person and slave alike (Schreck 89). The term 'catholic' in reference to the church is first recorded in a letter of Bishop Ignatius of Antioch around 110 A.D. "For Ignatius, 'catholic church' simply meant the whole church or the universal church" (Schreck 89). It was about a century later that the term 'Catholic church' was used to distinguish a certain body of Christians from other groups that had broken away from the original church Schreck 90). "Eternal life, or salvation...is a free gift of God...and God can confer this gift of eternal life upon anyone, even those who do not belong to a Christian church" (Schreck 110). The Catholic church is a genuine expression of the church of Christ and no teaching says that the church of Jesus Christ and the grace of salvation is limited to the Catholic church... "Many elements of sanctification and truth can be found outside of her visible structure" (Schreck 112).

What does the term "kerygma" mean and how is it used in Catholic theology? Kerygma is the proclamation of God's word. In Christianity, the heart of the earliest kerygma is simply: "Jesus the Nazorean, whom you crucified, God has raised from the dead" (Schreck 69). In 1 Corinthians 15:12-20, St. Paul summarizes:

If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are sill in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep" (Schreck 69).

The hope of Christians hinges on the reality of the resurrection of Jesus as an act of God that reveals that death, sin and Satan have been conquered. Jesus accepted death freely and overcame death when he emerged from the tomb alive on the third day (Schreck 70). Although, no one actually witnessed the resurrection of Jesus, there are variations among the four Gospel accounts of Easter Sunday morning. They all agree on two essential facts: 1) the tomb in which Jesus had been buried was found empty and the entrance stone rolled away; 2) Jesus appeared alive to his followers (Schreck 70). The Catholic church emphasized that the proclamation of God's word, kerygma, or the act of evangelization, must be folowed by an ever fuller instruction in the Christian life that contributes to the person's growth in holiness (Schreck 265). This is the primary mission of the church: "to witness in the power of the Holy Spirit to God's love as revealed in Jesus Christ, so that all people will come to know, love, and serve God, and receive the gift of eternal life" (Schreck 265).

According to Catholic theology, what is the relationship between Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition? How do they work together? Catholicism believes that the normative revelation of God, for all times and situations, comes from the Holy Spirit through the two channels of sacred Scripture and sacred tradition. The Second Vatican Council's Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation explains that "Sacred tradition and sacred Scripture from one sacred deposit of the word of God, which is committed to the church" (Schreck 120). Although, many Christians believe the phrase, 'the word of God' refers only to the Bible, Catholics understand that both the Bible and sacred tradition are God's revealed word: