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The Chourch 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 increasinglv 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 pro-
phetic 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
in takes for the church to be a prophetic communitv and a sign of hope
in the modern world.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
53974
URI
Publication date:
20.9.1991.
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