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The Church as a prophetic community and a sign of hope
Miroslav Volf
Abstract
In various Christian communities, theological reflection on the relation
between the church and the world has increasingly in recent decades
revolved around the double notions of »prophecy« and »sign«. The con-
vergence is a significant ecumenical achievement, since these notions
touch the very heart of both Roman Catholic and Protestant notions of
what the church is and what its mission in the world should be. After
critiquing the explicit or implicit dominant understandings of the
prophetic ministry of the church and of its function as a sign (II), the
author suggests how our thinking about the role of the church in the
world — its living before the world and speaking to the world — can
be recast to avoid the criticism noted (IV i V). His suggestions are based
on a reflection on the relation between the church and the Kingdom
of God, or the new creation (III), The author ends with a discussion
about what it takes for the church to be a prophetic oommunity and
a sign of hope in the modern world.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
53953
URI
Publication date:
21.3.1991.
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