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