Please enable JavaScript.

Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.

Church Authority - Coggle Diagram

- - - - believed in absolute monarchy
      - like original sin
    - - blank slate theory (Tabula Rasa)
      - believes we could rule ourselves
      - life, liberity & property- right to these things and government should protect rights, if government can't provide and prtoect rights we have right to rebel
    - - influenced by french revolution
      - "man is born free, yet everywhere he is in chains"
      - introduced direct democracy- every citizen should have say in how governance takes place
      - general will- give up some free will for general good
    - - italian
      - no cruel punishment for those accused of crime
      - advocated against torture
      - Eight Ademendment- 'Excessive bail shall not be required,nor...''
    - - separation og power within governement
      - limits on absolute government
      - might do things not in best interests of people, has to be accountability within government
      - wanted to separate powers into legislative, executive and judical so there was accountability by sharing power across different groups
      - limits countries military size
    - - imprisoned and exiled for ideas and criticism of the Catholic church and government
      - "If you want to know who controls you look at who you are not allowed to criticise"
      - "I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it"
      - people should be able to co-exist together- lived during wars of religion, time of religious persecution
      - contribution- freedom of speech, press and religion
    - - women's rights in late 18th century
      - 'Vindication of the Rights of Women'
    - - daughter to Mary Wollstonecraft
      - wrote novel 'Frankenstein'
    - - french revolution came from different salons based around France- based on her own salon
      - rich women invited philosphers over to 'salons' where discussed different issues
      - eventually led to French Revolution
    - - wrote first encloypedia
      - french government and church- censored and banned as they felt threatened
  - - - freedom of press & freedom of worship given to people
    - - more education available, reformed judical system- stopped torture
      - 'A King is the first servant and first magistrate of the state'
    - - ended death penalty
  - - - democracy and equality were favoured & ruling aristocracy was rejected
      - church influencing state affairs was therefore also rejected and a secular state grew out of this idea
- - - - office of bishop distinct and superior to officers of local churches
      - bishop ordains & governs priests & rectors of several local parish churches
      - has archbishop- has authority over many/all other bishops
    - - clear line of command
      - quicker to make decisions
    - - 1 person calling shots- people don't have say
      - disagreement
      - corruption if make decision for wrong reason
    - - Charles Gore- claimed divine right for this form of government, contending that local bishops- "like the circle of twelve round their Master" are successors of apostles & hence of Christ himself & always had authority over presbyters
      - Litton maintains that episcopacy benefited the church in being able to claim its authority comes from direct descent from the apostles and should be preserved
      - Robert Reymond- episcopacy receives no support from NT & its perceived benefit highly debatable
      - JB Lightfoot- "the episcopate was created out of the presbytery"
      - Shelley notes that rise of episcopcay gave rise to papacy & coincides with doctrinal heresies and political and social abuse of power
  - - - governed by group of elders
      - elders elected by congregation
      - pastor seen as one of elders in session, but with specialised role
      - memberss of sessions from several local churches also members of the presbyter- has ruling authority over these churches
      - some members of presbytery are also members of "general assembly"
    - - Reymound maintained that NT were connected or bound together by a common government
      - Reymound argues that principle of mutual accountability, dependancy and submission among the churches can be found at several places in scripture
  - - - final governing authority lies within congregation
      - congregation elects one elder/pastor as spiritual leader who makes final decision for congregation
      - single elder assisted by group of deacons (also elected by congregation)
    - - Revelation 2-3- the "angel" in each of 7 churches refers to a single elder or pastor, which indicates that each church had not many but only one bishop/ elder or pastor
      - Grudem highlighted, there were elders appointed "in every church"
      - Strong's arguement that James was the sole pastor of the Jerusalem church is again easily refuted by the presence of the elders in the in Jerusalem in Acts 15v2
- - - - called "bulls" after lead seal
      - at end of each document was sign of Peter and Paul & name of Pope issuing it
      - is a Pope's official, formal decree establishing a religious order, clarifying a doctrine, ratifying other documents, founding a university, convoking a general council, declaring a jubilee or making a similar statement
      - Pope signs documents as 'episcopus servus servorum Dei' ("Bishop, Servant of the Servants of God")
      - e.g. proclaim that the Jewish people are not to be blamed for the death of Jesus and that they must be protected by civil authorities
    - - is a "circular letter" meant to be spread throughout a community
      - letter from a Pope that can be addressed to the bishops and priests of a country or region, or clergy of the entire world
      - can be addressed to entire catholic faith- 1963 encyclical "Pacem in Terris" ("Peace on Earth"
      - deals with some aspect of Catholic teaching- clarifying, amplifying, condemning or promoting one/ number of issues
      - E.g. 1968, 3 years after 2nd Vatican Council- hope still high that Pope would lift ban on artifical contraception & no longer be considered mortal sin.
        In Encyclical Humanae Vitae- Pope kept ban on artifical contraception
    - - Since Council & Humanae Vitae has been mass exodus of priests and laity from Catholic Church
      - 76% of baptized Catholics not attending Sunday Mass regularly- (since Humanae Vitae)
      - Magisterium- bishops part of teaching authority
  - - - E.g. 1927- heresy trial for Rev J Ernest Davey, accused on 5 points of Doctrine
        accused of being "modernist"- theology too liberal, interpretative & not true to scripture
      - 5 counts:
        the doctrine of forgiveness,
        the character of Christ,
        the nature of scripture,
        sin and
        the doctrine of the Holy Trinity
      - brought before church and tried- was found innocent & those who opposed him left presbyterian church and founded the Evangelical Presbyterian Church
- - - - women & men created in image of God- equal
      - Galatians 3 v 38- 'All one in Christ'
      - women would feel more represented & that have voice in the church
      - women that attend church have someone to talk to about personal issues that maybe couldn't talk to men about
      - women prominent figures in Jesus followers- presented himself first to Mary Magdalene after rose again
      - Jesus lived in male dominated society
      - gender of person serving God doesn't matter
      - once baptised gender doesn't matter as- all one in Christ (Galatians 3 v28)
      - Jesus taught women as well as men
      - Vatican 2- 1965- called for all discrimination to be eradicated, yet 1978 Pope John Paul II stated women not to be called to Priesthood
      - worldwide shortage of priests
      - culture has changed- women have more of a role than in NT
      - apostle called Junia (women)
      - OT- Deborah was a judge of Israel
      - archological evidence= women served as priests
    - - Priests have to be close to Christ, therefore as he was male, they must also be male
      - 12 disciples= men
      - catholics believe men and women are equal but have different roles to play in society- Complementarianism
      - Paul's views- "I do not permit women to teach or assume authority over a man.... must be quiet"
      - 1 letter to Timothy
      - In CC priets to stand in place of Christ
      - women have other roles- sabbath school, pastoral role, lead women's ministry
      - creation- created in order in Genesis, Adam= 1st & Women= 2nd
      - could be perceived as sexist & outdated make church seem irrelevant
      - tradition- been same way for 2 thousand years
      - 1976 Pontifical commission- no biblical reason not to ordain women- Pope John Paul II says no way
  - - - Pope Francis said 'who am I to judge'
      - have to be celibate to be a priest- why matter if homo or hetero
      - controversial issue- society moved on
      - Church of Scotland, PCUSA both decided to ordain actively homosexual clergy
      - E.g. Bishop Jean Robinson- originally married women, divorced, married man, divorced
      - Episcopalian church in America said God's call was open to all
      - when baptised, all one in christ- differences should disappear
      - 'All made in God's image regardless of sexuality'
    - - Pope Francis- most progressive & liberal pope, but still against homosexual priests
      - priest standing in place of christ- in order to do so can't be involved in homosexual relationship/ gay
      - Pope Benedict- in order to train as priest or be ordained can't be homosexual
      - controversial issue- what bible says, God's word never changes
      - majority of Anglican community against homosexual clergy- majority against in Africa, for in America & England= split
      - traditionally bible is against homosexual clergy
      - anglican community against homosexual clergy- GAFCON- feels church moving a way from God's word
- - - - prevent false teaching by having one strong teacher to impart beliefs
      - maintain unity- when leaders agree church tends to agree
      - create strong organisation- church less likely to split
      - power lies at top- Pope
      - clear line of command
      - decisions made quickly
      - allows bishop to protect apostolic tradition
      - Pastor Pastorum- role of bishop= support other clergy
      - bishop have supportive role for other clergy
      - apostolic succession- authority of bishop came direct from the apostle's
    - - little scriptural support
      - clerical abuse scandal
      - squash initative and active searching for the truth leads to ineffectiveness and stagnation
      - led to rise of political and social abuse of power
      - all focus on 1 person rather than everyone playing their part
      - if main leader makes wrong decision- harder for people to object
      - people feel less involved & engaged in direction & focus of church
      - leity don't have say
      - because people don't have say in things, may be more contenious
      - where do get structure if not from the bible?- sprang from natural order of church
      - episcopacy not mentioned in NT
  - - - in presbyterian- have to be accountable to body of elder
      - everyone plays a part and has role within church
      - everyone has say in different church matters e.g. can have a vote
      - representitive form of church government- elders elected
      - there's an equality- pastor has no more power than elders
      - courts of the church you can appeal to if you don't agree or support something
      - fact that all different churches part of something bigger- sense of unity
      - takes pressure off the minister- doesn't have to make all decisions
      - it's found in the scriptures- in OT & NT
      - provides safeguards to stop congregation falling into error
      - strong centralized authority & decentralized control
    - - scriptural evidence of congregational is limited
      - no accountability in a congregational church
      - decisions are made slowly
      - people might vote in way that support soceities views not biblical teaching
      - don't feel that elders from another congregation should be dealing with any issues in their congregation
      - Ballnahinchin congregational autonomy gone wrong- church split 2 ways
      - doesn't reflect body or unity of christ
      - single pastor from lead to moral failure- no accountability