‘Trinitarian dogmatics of holiness’ based on an intensive engagement with the christian tradition. only at the end of the book does Webster acknowledge the ‘incommensurable’ relation between his African Mango unfolding of holiness and the modern displacement or dissolution of any notion of holiness. The problem with this approach is that the dogmatics operates cheap wedding dresses within an enclosed circle of meaning.47      Werner Jeanrond, ‘community and authority: The nature and implications of the authority of the christian community’, in gunton and hardy (eds.), On Being the Church,

understanding serve the missio Dei? .

a genuine mutuality and  accountability in trade show booths ministries, both within particular churches and between churches, is a critical issue for the inner life of the church. The issue is not simply a matter for the internal life of the church. The reason is clear: the purpose penny stocks to watch and tasks of ministry concern the church’s purpose and mission. a present challenge is how to recognise and honour both the remarkable growth and diversification of corporate ministries and those ministries  for which the church has historically ordained people. a recent electric cigarette attempt by the Jesuit theologian Philip rosato, inquires into the complimentary relations between the priesthood of the baptised and the ordained. however, this important piece of analysis remains confined within a traditional Roman Catholic frame; ‘the ordained represent his SEO Service [christ’s] transcendent headship of, and the baptised his immanent presence to the church, and through it, his headship of and presence to humanity’.49  These two leather furniture separate modalities of christian priesthood are ‘orientated to each other’. yet in rosato’s account they seem to move in two different directions, that is, from above (ordained) and from below (baptised) snoring chin strap corresponding to the divinity and humanity of christ. The interrelation between the two priesthoods and their concomitant ministries  harbours  within  it  significant unreconciled  baby shower cakes tensions  related  to  the problems of a two-nature christology.50  it is a problem that will surface repeatedly in our examination of the development of ministry in the following chapters.

opening up a conversation on the interrelatedness  of the ministries has proven quite difficult. There are a number of reasons for this. At one level it is a problem of nomenclature. There are a host of terms: charis, charism, charismata,  ministry, ministries, ordo, order, orders, office. Within the earliest communities of faith, as seen in Paul’s corinthian correspondence, the charismata became contentious with tendencies to rank, weigh and  assess their relative importance. some questions arise. For example, does charis have theological priority over charisma? does the ministry have similar priority  over ministries?51  often  charism and charismata have been considered to be in tension with those expressions of charismata that

have been regularised  into orders and a particular office. And in popular usage charisma is more often applied to a particular persons’ general leadership appeal. order can have narrower or wider meanings; the former pertaining to particular orders of ministry, though even here the history of the discussion indicates tension and fluidity.52 certainly since vatican ii there has been a recognition that charism and order ‘are operative in the ministries of the laity’,53 although this suggests that the notion of order ought not be made unduly restrictive in its ambit. certainly a

danger pokies persists that ordering might ignore some charisms.

is ‘ministry’ a pokies generic term for all ministries or does it specify those who have been ordained to a pokies particular ordo?54  To what extent are the ministries a more email lists regularised and public recognition of particular charismata? in answering this question it may be more sole f80 helpful to understand charisms less as ‘sparks of supernatural power and energy erupting against the stream of communal life’ and more as gifts of the spirit ‘ that has

sole f63 ministry as its goal’.55  on this account charisms ‘are expressions of the Spirit-filled life of the ministerial community of the church’.56  This approach presumes that ministry ‘is the proper and normal expression of charism in the life of the church’.57 This also has the merit of linking ministry to an activity of the spirit rather than a creation of the church. ‘Ministry is the public and communally recognised form of charism’.58  This also suggests that the familiar contrast between ‘charism’ and institution is overly simplistic and does not do justice to the dynamic that obtains between the two.

The contemporary discussion of the nomenclature, particularly among catholic scholars, indicates an attempt to reconnect gifts, ministry and office. Francis Martin refers to a ‘charism of service’ – special endowments of the spirit for service, for example, prophecy,total gym xls teaching, words of wisdom, preaching, healing, interpretation

52   pokies   For example, see the discussion by nichols,  Holy Order, ch. 3, ‘The Medieval Theology of order’. nichols traces the discussion in the medieval church over the nature of order, disputes over its sevenfold structure, differentiation and rationale for the ordering within the sacrament of order, tensions between ‘papal presbyterianism’ and uggs apostolic episcopacy.

53      Fox quick payday loans, New Ecclesial Ministries, p. 317.

54      nichols  notes  that  ordinatio ‘was  a  term  used  at  rome  for  appointing civil functionaries to their office: Jerome uses it as a synonym for the Greek cheirotonia, the laying on of hands…. Those so inducted into office, or otherwise distinguished from the general body of the populace, were, in ancient rome, an ordo – which thus became, at christian hands, the proper term for the clergy’s special place within the people of god’ (Holy Order, p. 52), and that this practice was officially sanctioned by the Theodosian code,  promulgated in 438/39 (Codex Theodosius 16.5.26) (ibid., p. 169 n. 38).

55      hannaford,  ‘Foundations diabetic diet for an ecclesiology  of Ministry’, p. 51, quoting the roman catholic scholar Thomas o’Meara.of tongues, care of others.59  he distinguishes these from other manifestations of the spirit whose purpose may not include service, for example, the gift of tongues, the single state (1 cor. 7:7). Charisms of service ‘can be conferred and exercised sporadically for the good of the community’.60  The move from occasional to a more permanent exercise of charism is signalled by the term ‘ministry’ though, as Martin notes, a number of gifts in the new Testament ‘imply a more permanent type of exercise’.

Martin proposes that the term work from home ‘office’ indicates ‘a stable ministry’ which secures the ‘permanence of apostolic teaching’ ‘by giving it a genuinely historical dimension, a consistent existence extending over both space and time’.61  For this Catholic scholar the structuring reflects the dynamic between occasional and more permanent expressions of the charis of god. he notes that whilst charisms and ministry express weight loss pills ‘the aspect of “otherness” inherent in the source of the church’s life’, office ‘adds’ to this in two ways: first, by adding an aspect of otherness ‘that works within the corporeal and thus historical nature of the church’; and second, the authority of office ‘adds’ to the dimension of authority inherent in charism and ministry, ‘the dimension of objectivity – office is transmitted through some form of human historical activity’.62 In this way office functions both ‘within the church’ and ‘over against the church’. apparently for Martin the ‘otherness’ of charisms and ministry is not of the same order as

that belonging to office, which alone is singled out as functioning ‘over against the church’.

Martin’s  approach   is  not  unfamiliar  in  both  catholic   and  Protestant traditions.63  but is it sustainable? are not all activities

of the spirit both within and over against the church? Might it not be more accurate to understand office as providing an enduring ecclesial symbol of the dialectic intrinsic to the operation of god’s  charis (through charism and ministry) in and beyond the community of faith. This would make it unambiguously clear that  the real issue underlying discussion concerning nomenclature is the importance and indispensability of differentiated representation. in other words, it has to do with an ecclesiology of ministry. luther saw this clearly when he noted that the selection of particular people to be ordained into an office did

hannaford  argues that to overcome hierarchology ‘we need to show that a theology of ministry, understood as action on behalf of the church, is consistent with an understanding of the church as an organic community, where ministerial differentiation contributes to and does not diminish the unity and coherence of the whole body’.68 evidently the question of the ministries cannot be resolved without reference to the ecclesia, its calling and purpose in the world. The way forward on the interrelation and reconciliation of the ministries within and between churches will be best served by attention to an ecclesiology of ministry.69 it is certainly the case that the doctrine of the church has been a major theme of the second half of the twentieth century. We thus turn briefly to the emergence of ecclesiology and consider its relevance for the issue of ministry.

some years ago the well-known lutheran scholar, Jaroslav Pelikan, stated that ‘the doctrine of the church became, as it had never quite been before, the bearer of the whole of the christian message for the twentieth century, as well as the recapitulation of the entire doctrinal tradition from preceding centuries’.70 Pelikan was pointing to the emergence of ecclesiology as the principle of seo firms coherence for the central themes of christianity. Was this a sign of the failure of christianity – a retreat into its religious ‘enclave’71 – at least in the West? or was it indicative of an intuition about community and sociality: something quite central and creative in the life of faith in the world? in defence of facial hair removal Pelikan’s proposal i would point to the emergence of ecclesiology as one result of the remarkable missionary movement of the nineteenth century. The mission experience raised critical issues concerning the relations between the divided churches and proved a major impetus for the modern ecumenical movement.Missiongenerated reflection and ‘soul searching’ concerning Cosmetic Surgery Thailand ecclesial identity and inter-church relations. ecclesiology, a theme that

historically has attracted little interest theologically, became increasingly important both practically and theoretically. behind this lay the gospel imperative enshrined in the high replica handbags priestly prayer of Jesus, ‘May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me’ (John17: 23). ecumenism was not an optional extra. The church was called to embody the oneness of the divine life; gospel and church were inextricably related.

but to speak of gospel is to call attention to god. over the last two-hundred years the God question has been a site of considerable conflict in the light of the rise of more virulent forms of secular atheism and serious questions from within the christian community about the character of god in the wake of the First World War. a theology of protest emerged which argued that the god of the gospel was not to be simply identified with the values and aspirations of European culture clothed in religious garments. other theologians worked hard to resist the marginalization of the divine from the affairs of the world, the sciences, humanities and so on. The twentieth century thus bore witness to a remarkable flowering of Trinitarian theology under the impetus of Karl barth,  among others. The re-emergence of a  Trinitarian consciousness in christian  theology provided the foundations for a  truly ecumenical ecclesiology whose key element has focussed on koinonia (communion) and the life of the spirit. ecclesiology has thus become a critical, if not the lens through which the central themes of christian faith are interpreted. all roads may not lead to the church (heaven forbid) but they may lead through it.

how fairs the anglican church in this? do anglicans have a doctrine of the church? The anglican bishop and theologian stephen sykes has pointed to the relative paucity of Anglican reflection on the church as such. He has exposed the flaws in the ‘no special doctrines’ doctrine; that Anglicans adhere to what was believed by the undivided church of antiquity.72  Whilst this has been appealing for many anglicans,  especially in ecumenical circles, it actually undermines Anglican reflection on its own identity and mission and could easily foster an unfounded pride.73  on the other hand anglicanism has been one of the leaders in the ecumenical movement over its history which suggests that there is a powerful though implicit ecclesiology that generates openness to the wider ecclesia and society.74

The growth and development of the ministries of the people of god  has been a renewing force in the churches. however, the course of christianecumenism suggests an uneasy alliance between the emergence of a baptismal paradigm for ministries and the traditional orders of ministry. unresolved tensions appear in the reflections of successive Faith and Order reports of the World Council of Churches and in the numerous ecumenical dialogues of the late twentieth century.24  The anglican–roman catholic international commission (arcic) is instructive. The new context sets Pizza Express vouchers the backdrop for the 1973 statement: ‘The ordained ministry can only be rightly understood within this broader context of various ministries, all of which are the work of one and the same spirit.’25  ordained ministry shares in the

‘priesthood of the people of god’. ‘nevertheless register cyprus company their ministry is not an extension of the common christian priesthood but belongs to another realm of the gifts of the spirit.’26 The subsequent ‘elucidations’ in 1979 referred to two priesthoods as ‘two distinct realities’,27 ministry becoming ‘an umbrella word for two priesthoods only analogously related’.28 As John Collins notes, this elucidation effectively nullifies the force of the opening statements regarding the common context for the ministries. any residual anxiety that the sacrament of orders might be ‘a simple ecclesiastical institution’ rather than ‘from Christ’, is dispelled in the 1993 ‘Clarifications’ of arcic 1.29 gifts of the spirit for such ministry may be in and through the church but bike trainer a certain distance in relation to the church is maintained. arcic’s approach

Clarifications of Certain Aspects of the Agreed Statements on Eucharist and Ministry of the First Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission: Together with a Letter from Cardinal Edward Idris Cassidy, President, Pontifical Council for parrot cages for sale Promoting Christian Unity (london: church house and catholic Truth society for the anglican consultative Council and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, 1994), p. 9.

to ministry leads to what alan  brent has called an ‘unsynthesised antinomy’30 expressed in the following terms: the priesthood of christ and

the priesthood of the community are ‘two distinct realities’; priestly ministry is ‘not an extension of the common christian priesthood but belongs to another realm of the spirit’. The tacit assumption here is that a strong doctrine of catholic orders requires such a sharp differentiation. The price is a lack of integration of ecclesial ministries. The ministries of those in orders and the Essay writing service ministries of the rest of the baptised represent parallel tracks.

Collins locates the general funny t shirt problem in what he refers to as ‘the modern fixation on a churchwide ministry’.31  This problem becomes evident in ‘an attempt to fit a new evaluation of ministry into an older theology of priesthood’.

‘new wine in old wineskins’ is a doomed enterprise, though collins  notes the inventiveness of numerous roman catholic theologians in searching ‘for a way to balance out roles within “every-member ministry” without thereby necessarily making of christianity  “a one-caste religion”’.33

edmonton show homes anglicans  have not shown a similar critical reflection though its many dialogues over the last two decades are certainly evidence of significant energy being given to the matter of ministry, in particular ordained ministry.34

development of ministries has not only Rolex replica watches generated some unresolved tensions within and between the churches. it has also signalled a challenge to prevailing traditions of clericalism that have tended to keep the form and function of christian ministry locked up within certain offices in the Church. To be sure there has existed a strong counter tradition to clericalism in the Church which is exemplified in the modern era with the Quakers, and some other Protestant churches, for example, brethren.  however,  the  clerical paradigm has  displayed remarkable tenacity in the mainstream churches of modernity. The roman  catholic  scholar, aidan Kavanagh, has drawn loveseats attention to the gradual distancing of the ordained christian ministries from the plebs Dei from the high Middle ages to the twentieth century. he notes that the ‘effects are all around us. The other christian ministries, where they survived, have been presbyteralized, Atkins Diet Phase 1 and the rest of the church has been deministerialized.’35 The assimilation of ministries to traditional orders continues the clericalisation of the laity and also points to the need for a theology of lay vocation in the world, a matter central to luther’s insight.36 he development of ministries and their challenge to clericalism is one thing. but a deeper issue is hinted at by the former primate of the anglican church ofaustralia, Peter carnley who notes that: whilst this emphasis on the collaborative ministry of the whole people of god is undoubtedly a good thing, its downside is that we have tended, perhaps unintentionally, to devalue the importance of the ordained ministry, and even to blur the boundaries between the respective roles of ordained and lay people.37

valuing   the  distinctiveness  of  ordained  ministries  and  calls  for  clarifying boundaries may be useful and needful. however it also may conceal an anxiety concerning the identity and purpose of those in holy orders. To what extent such identity issues are the result of the explosion of the ministries of the baptised is an interesting yet extremely difficult matter to determine. Peter Carnley’s instincts may be quite right; today the question of holy orders is GreenCloud very much a puzzle for many in the church, not least those ordained to ministries that have such a valued and ancient pedigree in the church. at an anecdotal level there is certainly plenty of evidence to suggest significant confusion amongst clergy regarding their role and authority within the modern church. drop-out rates among clergy are high, stress and overload is common and the prevailing culture of economic rationalism and unrelenting ministerial activity provides a worrying relief from the burden of internal confusion (too busy to think about it) and a partial rationale for one’s existence. The more articulate and able do a reasonably good job of developing new job descriptions that give energy and purpose but often with little reference to their own ordination vows and brief.

These problems are not the preserve of  one particular denomination but affect those charged with specific ministerial responsibility in the orders tradition whatever their ecclesial affiliation. Within the churches there are further tensions that make orders controversial or at least problematic. The main issue here concerns recognition of ministries among the different churches. in the view of the roman catholic theologians Karl rahner and heinrich Fries this subject ‘is one of the most difficult problems discussed in ecumenical dialogues; the mutual recognition of ministerial offices’.38  Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry indicated where work still needed to be done. Thus not only are orders under fire vis-à-vis the wider ministry of the whole people of god, orders remain a source of contention between churches. in this context it is relevant to note that the nineteenth-century papal letter of leo Xiii, Apostolicae Curae (1896), pronouncing ordinations performed according to the anglican rite ‘completely null and void’ still stands. as a result the anglican  church  has the somewhat dubious distinction of being the only communion of Christendom upon which the Roman Church has made an official pronouncement regarding the invalidity of its orders.39

Problems to do with identity, boundaries, purpose and function are exacerbated by continued reference to ‘the ordained ministry’. This phrase belongs to the common currency of discussion of the theme of ministry. no doubt the terminology is a useful and efficient short-hand phrase to specify certain ministries. However it harbours significant dangers and easily distorts perceptions of the relations between the ministries of the church.  Primarily the notion of ‘the ordained ministry’ suggests an ontologically distinct order within the ecclesia into which certain persons are inducted. This generates the entirely fictitious idea that those whom the Church call to the office and work of deacons, priests and bishops are, in the first instance, being relocated to a different metaphysical realm, that is, the ordained ministry. Thus one is ordained into ‘the ordained ministry’.40

Where such a view prevails the relationship between those of the ‘ordained ministry’ and other non-ordained ministries will be one of obediential following for the latter. There can be no genuine interrelationship which values mutuality and collaboration. indeed, it is possible to entirely overlook the fact that the question of the relation between general ministries and ‘ordained ministry’ may be a topic worthy of consideration. This is evident in the work of two anglican theologians, anthony hanson and richard hanson. When they turn their minds to the subject of the ‘Theology of the ordained Ministry’ the question of the relationship between such theology and other ministries of the church does not appear on the radar screen.41

how might we better understand the dynamic relation between the ministries of the baptised and the ministry of those in holy orders? We may say that the church, through its ecclesial processes and rites, so orders its life that among the multiplicity of its ministries it ensures that the offices of deacon, priest and bishop will continue. yet the church does not have an ‘ordained ministry’ as such, in the same way that it does not have a ‘non-ordained ministry’. What it does have are certain ministries – traditionally ‘major orders’42  – for which the liturgical rite of ordination is deemed appropriate. Thus whilst there are important differentiations among the ministries this does not resolve itself into a simple and absolute divide between ‘the ordained ministry’ and ‘the non-ordained ministry’. unfortunately, the prevailing terminology only reinforces suspicions among the ‘non-ordained’ of being undervalued and increases confusion among ‘the ordained’ as to the true nature of their ministry in times of rapid change and concomitant developments in ‘lay ministries’.43

To speak of rites for the ordering of ministries opens up another important but more often ignored area these days. The rite of ordination is an instance of a powerful rite of passage. Things are different on the ‘other side’ of the rite. The person initiated into the new order has a different status from before. They stand in a different place and this new status (lit.: ‘standing place’) alters who they are in relation to others.44 The anthropological dimension digital signage of such a rite of passage deserves greater attention.45  it is necessarily intertwined with the theology of ordination rites. The weight given to such ecclesial boundary rites has a significant impact on the nature of the relations between those in holy orders and the ministries of the baptised. insofar as ecclesiastical rites of passage have suffered diminishment in the modern period so too has the significance of ordination as a life changing rite for both individuals and the community of faith.

42      Data Mining Software in the Western church there has long existed ‘major orders’ – traditionally bishop, priest/presbyter, deacon. it is the major orders that have commonly been described as

‘Holy Orders’, thereby attributing a degree of importance or significance to such orders of christian ministry (sacri ordines). in the West, the subdeacon has also been included (from the thirteenth century) as one of the ‘major orders’, although this is not so today. in the east, the subdeacon has always been regarded as belonging to the ‘minor orders’. in the sixteenth century, Protestantism reworked the threefold orders in varying ways; by changing names (e.g., priest to pastor), adding new ministries (e.g., elder) or by dispensing with the episcopal order or all orders as such. in the West, ‘minor orders’ have included porter, lectors, exorcists and acolytes. in the wake of vatican ii, these were renamed ‘ministeria’ and reduced to two (i.e., lectors and acolytes). in the east,  since the seventh century, lectors and cantors have survived though porters, exorcists and acolytes have been merged in the subdeaconate. For further see The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, ed. F.l. cross (oxford: oxford university Press, 1974). one result of this is that orders per win iphone 4s se evidence a degree of fluidity over time.

as a result of the above developments and tensions it is not an exaggeration to speak of the fate of ‘holy orders’ in the modern church.46  it can appear as the poor victim lying at the side of the road waiting for a
ergohuman kind samaritan to come by, tend its wounds and restore it to life. alas none such has arrived though there have been many that have passed by and noted the sorry state of affairs.

 There is no doubt that the last half of the twentieth century has witnessed a remarkable and important development in the ministry of the whole people of God. This development is one of the great achievements of the ecumenical movement of the past century. ‘Gone are the days when the ordained priest was a one man band [sic] who led an otherwise passive community. The whole community is now clearly seen to have a role.’ The critical move theologically is the clear nexus established between baptism and Christian ministry. Luther’s doctrine of the priesthood of all believers has taken firm root in the consciousness of the wider Church. The ministry of the laity is foundational for the life and witness of the people of God. The biblical roots are strong and the grounding in baptism in the death and resurrection of Christ as the pattern for all Christian ministry is exciting not to mention sound theologically. Baptism is thus the sacrament of initiation into the community of faith for a life of service (diakonia) and witness (marturia). Baptism, community and ministry are thus inextricably linked. This development received its clearest and most significant expression ecumenically in the 1983 Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry document of the Peter Carnley, Reflections in Glass (Sydney: HarperCollins, 2004), p. 157World council  of churches.  The document was the fruit of many decades of patient conversation between the churches and has become the reference point for subsequent discussions of ministry. Thus in the context of the ‘calling of the whole people of god’ it is stated that: The holy spirit bestows on the community diverse and complementary gifts … for the common good of the whole people…. all members are called to discover, with the help of the community, the gifts they have received and to use them for the building up of the church and for service of the world to which the church is sent.2 The focus on the gifts of the spirit  for ministry and mission in the world is unmistakable in the opening section of the report. This pneumatological emphasis is in keeping with the earlier sections of the report on baptism. However, as many commentators have noted, the reflection on ministry quickly turns to disagreements amongst the churches about how the life of the church is to be ordered. differences over the ‘place and forms’ of ordained ministry prompt the critical diamond engagement rings missional question: ‘how,  according to the will of god  and under the guidance of the holy  spirit,  is the life of the church  to be understood and ordered, so that the gospel may be spread and the community built up in love?’ The promising start on the ministries of the christian community soon becomes focussed on orders per se. at this point the more familiar tradition is reasserted; the ministry of those ordained ‘is constitutive for the life and witness of the church’.3 yet within this context there is the reminder that ‘all members of the believing community, ordained and lay, are interrelated’.4 The nature of the interrelation is specified; the community requires the presence of the ‘ordained’ to remind the community of their reliance upon christ,  to build the community in christ,  to strengthen its witness and to be an example of holiness for the community; the ordained ‘can fulfil their calling only in and for the community’ and ‘cannot dispense

with the recognition, the support and the encouragement of the community’.5

The fact that a strong relationship between ordained and laity is proposed is a positive. however the nature of this relationship begins to look somewhat unidirectional with a focus on what the ordained are and do for the community. Moreover the earlier emphasis on the ‘diverse and complimentary’ gifts of the spirit upon the whole community for its strength, witness and service is muted at best. The discussion of ministry appears somewhat skewed in the direction of ordained ministry. What is not clear is how the corporate and ordained ministry  ‘animate each other, each focusing the activity of god  – in each other; each Beyond baptism, eucharist and Ministry: Some Problems and Promise  Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry was produced over 25 years ago and since that time the growth of the ministry of the whole people of god has continued throughout the churches. The new ecclesial ministries of the roman communion are a case in point.8 an accompanying discourse photocopier hire refers to ‘collaborative ministry’,

‘total ministry’ or ‘every-member ministry’.9 This is an encouraging development however such discourse and its link to baptism is not without its problems. First, the term ministry can easily become a catch-all term to include ordained ministry, other ministries and many aspects of discipleship common to all christians, for example, prayer and activities of care-giving. The same word ‘does service both for what is common to all christians and for what differentiates within the christian community’.10 Thus helen oppenheimer states: ‘unless ministry can be distinguished from everything else which is not ministry, it hardly seems worth talking about.’11

a second more critical issue  has  been  raised by  John  collin’s  study of diakonia.12  collins offers a powerful challenge to the traditional ethical slant on the notion diakonia (i.e., of humble service) arguing that diakonia has to do with a ‘duty imposed by divine authority’. given the strong link between diakonia and ministry, collin’s calls into question the tendency to reduce ministry to all acts of lowly service in the christian community. his controversial argument suggests a treadclimber reviews Working Party on assessment of the committee for Theological education. accM occasional Paper no. 22 (london: advisory council for the church’s Ministry, 1987), p. 29, par. 29.

much stronger association between deacon and messenger or ambassador. collin’s corrective opens up possibilities for diakonia as ‘servant–ambassador’ embracing a ministry of both word and deed. certainly the term ‘ministry’ may be capable of much sharper specification and freed from the individualism of much that goes by the name of ministry and associations with ‘general service or benevolence’. as hannaford notes, where this has occurred the ‘axis of thinking on ministry has shifted from the collective life of the community to the life and duty of christian individuals’.13

a third issue concerns the nature of the relationship of ministry to baptism, and is implicit in Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry. it is usual Proactol in contemporary discussion to regard baptism as a sacramental sign for a vocation to christian ministry in whatever form this may take. in a general sense this has validity; indeed it remains an important insight. it suggests that baptism can operate as the generic source for all ministries, including ordained ministry. The danger in this popular understanding is alluded to by John Zizioulas, who argues that baptism represents the first order – chronologically and ontologically – of the Church. For this orthodox  theologian ‘there is no such thing as “non-ordained” persons in the Church’. The rites of baptism and confirmation (which involve ‘laying on of hands’) are ‘essentially an ordination’. in this act the person ‘does not simply become a “christian”, as we tend to think, but he [sic] becomes a member of a particular “ordo” in the eucharistic community. When this is forgotten the laity become the “non-ordained” – unnecessary in the eucharistic community – and clericalism appears.’ The other alternative is to make the baptised person ‘the basis for all other “orders”, as if he [sic] were not himself a specifically defined order but a generic source or principle’.14   The former move associated with clericalism is more common in catholicism.  however  the latter development explains much of the contemporary confusion within Protestantism concerning the purpose of orders. Thus it is not uncommon for Protestant theologians to view the development of Rolex replica watches a ‘specialised priesthood’ as necessarily entailing a diminishment of the general priesthood.15  Whilst Zizioulas’s approach is an improvement on those ecclesiologies that diminish the importance of the lay baptised it also raises questions about the significance of the order of the baptised for those who subsequently enter another order of the church.16  in recent years roman catholic theologians have developed a notion of the charism of leadership being one of the gifts of baptism.17  i will have occasion to return to this later however, for the moment, I note the fine nuance of Hannaford: ‘Baptism does not, then, so much bestow a ministerial calling as call someone into the ministerial community of the church’.18

The above problems associated with the expansion of the common ministries ought  not  obscure  the  development  of  ministry  as  a  phenomenon  of  the whole church. The theological foundation of this can be located in a renewed emphasis on the work of christ through the agency of the spirit. This recovery of the dynamic relation between christology and Pneumatology constitutes the theological promise at the heart of recent developments in the understanding and practice of ministry. an example of this in modern ecclesiology is the work of the roman catholic theologian, edward schillebeeckx. his doctrine of ministry custom shirts is undergirded by an appeal to an originative pre-Pauline (antiochene-christian, Jewish-christian) christianity in which the critical factor was the role played by the baptism in the spirit; ‘baptism in the name of Jesus’. christians baptised into christ were therefore pneumatici. This was the ‘foundation of all church life’ and the energy driving the early missionary movement.19 The apostle Paul’s encounter with this early tradition was often conflictual. Though, as Schillebeeckx notes, Paul’s concerns arose out of a pastoral mission; the emphasis was thus ‘contextual pastoral strategy, not kerygma or dogma’.20 schillebeeckx’s challenge to traditional roman catholic approaches to ministry is clear:

This early egalitarian ecclesiology in no way excludes leadership and authority; but in that case authority must be one filled with the Spirit, from which no christian, man or woman, is excluded in principle on the basis of the baptism of the spirit schillebeeckx’s recovery of the primacy steriods of charisma over institution – an approach that links him with the late nineteenth-century work of the Protestant rudolph sohm  – is neither unfamiliar nor uncontroversial in roman  catholic  circles. those from the Pentecostal traditions of christianity.23