Table of Contents

Preface v

Introduction 1

Problem Areas 7

The Basic Tasks of Ministry 8

Summary 9

Discussion Questions 10

Suggested Readings 11

1 The Foundations of Ministry 11

The Apostolic Age (27-70)

Christ's Ministry 12

The Starting Point 15

Specialized Ministries Within the Community 16

Relation to Jewish Ministry 18

The Earliest Church Communities 21

The Twelve 22

The Pauline Churches 23

Summary 26

Discussion Questions 29

Suggested Readings 30

2 Ministry as Charism 31

The Post-Apostolic Age (70-110)

Ministerial Structures in the Post-Apostolic Age 32

The Teacher/Scribe in Matthew 34

The Johannine Alternative 35

The World of the Pastorals 35

The World of Colossians and Ephesians 38

Another Look at Presbyters, Deacons, and Bishops 39

"Bishops" in the New Testament World 39

Presbyters as Role Models 40

The Role of Deacons 41

Ordination in the New Testament 42

Ministry and the Celebration of Eucharist 45

Summary 47

Discussion Questions 49

Suggested Readings 50

3 From Ministry to Bishop 52

The Period of Establishment (110-313)

The Earliest Christian Writings 54

First Clement 54

The Didache 56

Ignatius of Antioch 57

Church Structure: From Prophet to Bishop 58

The Sacerdotalization of Ministry 63

The Question of Ordination 68

Further Reflections on Ordination 73

The Role of the Presbyters 75

Summary 77

Discussion Questions 80

Suggested Readings 81

4 Priesthood as Ministry 82

From State Church to Empire Collapse (313-500)

The Primary Role of Bishops 84

Impudent Deacons 87

Priestly Presbyters 90

The Rise of Celibacy 94

Final Remarks 100

Summary 101

Discussion Questions 103

Suggested Readings 104

5 The Monastery as Minister 105

The Feudal Period to the East/West Split (500-1054)

The Ministerial Expansion of the Monastery 106

Church and State 109

Church Hierarchy and Structures 112

The Eucharist in the Late Middle Ages 117

Summary 120

Discussion Questions 123

Suggested Readings 123

6 Ministry as Hierarchy 125

The Age of Scholasticism (1055-1414)

The Gregorian Reforms 126

Ministerial Developments 128

Ministry as Hierarchy 130

The Sacrament of Order 135

Theories of Priesthood 137

Thomas Aquinas (d. 1274) 138

Duns Scotus (d. 1308) 139

Gabriel Biel (d. 1495) 140

Priest and Bishop 142

Order and Jurisdiction 143

Priestly Life 144

A Final Word 145

Summary 146

Discussion Questions 148

Suggested Readings 148

7 The Reformation of Ministry 149

The End of the Medieval Church (1415-1565)

Protestantism 152

Martin Luther (d. 1546) 155

John Calvin (d. 1564) 157

The Cultic Focus of Ministry 160

The Council of Trent 163

Summary 171

Discussion Questions 174

Suggested Readings 174

8 Ministry as Cult 176

The Fortress Church (1565-1962)

The Tridentine Church 178

Characteristics of Post-Tridentine Theology 180

Thomas Stapleton (d. 1598) 182

Robert Bellarmine (d. 1623) 182

Francis Suarez (d. 1617) 183

Spirituality of the Counter-Reformation 184

The French School 186

Critique of This Period 189

General Understanding of Ministry 193

Summary 197

Discussion Questions 201

Suggested Readings 201

9 The Reappraisal of Ministry 202

The Period of Aggiornamento (1962-1965)

Vatican II and Ministry 203

The Ecclesiology of Vatican II 204

The People of God 207

Requirements for a Ministry of World Transformation 215

Summary 218

Discussion Questions 220

Suggested Readings 221

10 Reappraising Presbyteral Ministry 222

The New Theology of Vatican II (1962-1965)

The Theology of the Presbyterate 224

The Meaning of Ordination 232

The Presbyteral Role in the Church 236

Recapitulation 239

Summary 241

Discussion Questions 243

Suggested Readings 244

11 Unresolved Problems in Ministry 245

In the Shadow of Vatican II (1965-2000)

The Celibacy Question 246

The Right of the People to Eucharist 249

Structures of Ministry 251

Women in the Church 253

The Mutual Recognition of Ministries 257

Priestly Spirituality 260

Discussion Questions 268

Suggested Readings 268

12 Toward an Evangelical Ministry 269

The Third Millennium (2000- )

Principles of Church Ministry 270

Summary Conclusion 277

Discussion Questions 278

Suggested Readings 278

13 Reintegrating the Laity 279

The Age of the Laity (2000- )

Biblical Background 279

Early Church Teaching 285

Later Teaching 286

Modern Possibilities 288

Discussion Questions 292

Suggested Readings 293

Notes 294

Index 309