Thesis advisor: Jane Regan / At the intersection of theology and education, this dissertation investigates the distinctive character of the participation of Catholic colleges and universities in the mission of the Catholic Church. In 1967, less than two years after the final session of the Second Vatican Council, Catholic educators assembled in Land O’Lakes, Wisconsin to discuss the nature and role of Catholic universities in the modern era. While representing a necessary and natural stage of development for Catholic higher education, the Land O’Lakes statement—and, particularly its assertion of “true autonomy”—lacked sufficient theological foundation. In response to perceived abuses stemming from an undue emphasis on institutional autonomy, Pope John Paul II published the apostolic constitution on Catholic universities, Ex corde Ecclesiae (1990). This document proposed an ecclesiology of communion as a more adequate theological foundation. Although communion ecclesiology represented a real advance on several fronts, ultimately, the inability of this theological foundation to resolve challenging issues regarding the distinctive mission of Catholic institutions became evident. Consequently, a more adequate ecclesiological foundation is required. This dissertation proposes that ecclesial synodality, as it has emerged in the papacy of Francis, provides a more constructive ecclesiological foundation for considering the relationship between Catholic higher education and the church. I propose that Catholic colleges and universities can serve as institutions to foster the practice of synodality in the church. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2019. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry.

No description available.

This essay discusses different ways of understanding inclusion from the perspective of existential experiences in the church with the help of communion ecclesiology. The aim is to analyze other ways of creating inclusion that are not founded on the principle of consensus which has been a preferred method in the broader church community trough the ages. As a contrast, this essay looksat an ecclesiology of communion as another way to be inclusive from the idea of unity through diversity and differences. By comparing the theology of Elisabeth Johnson and John D. Zizioulas and their views of the other through Paul Jones theory of theological worlds this essay tries to answer the question: How can an ecclesiology of communion contribute to a broader church inclusion from the perspective of existential pluralism? After looking at how these theologians view inclusion in relation to Christian tradition, high and low ecclesiology and their relationship to different theological worlds the conclusion is that an ecclesiology of communion can create a more genuine form of inclusion by focusing more on the sensus fidei fidelis rather than the consensus fidei. By looking at the church more as a vessel of a multitude of experiences and personhoods combined by the relationship and narrative of Christ which find the community in the eschaton, rather than tradition, the church as a community can be a more inclusive place.

La synodalité paraît être aujourd’hui un thème très actuel, tant pour le dialogue théologique bilatéral entre les Églises catholique et orthodoxe, qu’à l’intérieur de chaque Église. Le pontificat du pape François a mis l’accent sur la synodalité et l’Église orthodoxe vient de réaliser son Grand et Saint Concile (Crète, juin 2016). Le Concile Vatican II en 1964 a promulgué la doctrine de la collégialité épiscopale (les évêques constituent un collège qui succède au collège des Douze Apôtres), doctrine qui devait rapprocher les ecclésiologies catholique et orthodoxe. Cependant, les théologiens orthodoxes ne se sont pas retrouvés dans cette doctrine. Cinquante ans après sa promulgation, on remarque par ailleurs que la mise en œuvre de la collégialité épiscopale dans l’Église catholique est plutôt limitée. Cette étude a tenté de confronter les notions de collégialité épiscopale et de synodalité épiscopale, en vue d’une compréhension commune, entre catholiques et orthodoxes, de la place des évêques au sein de l’Église entière. Partant du constat que la synodalité épiscopale, comme l’entendent les orthodoxes, ne coïncide pas avec la doctrine de la collégialité épiscopale comme elle a été formulée au concile Vatican II, le présent travail s’est penché sur les fondements de cette dernière, afin de rechercher comment la tradition commune originelle des deux Églises conçoit la synodalité épiscopale. Le retour aux sources communes, à savoir bibliques, patristiques et dogmatiques, est proposé comme la base d’une entente sur les questions du ministère épiscopal et de la synodalité des évêques. Une telle entente s’avère indispensable afin d’aborder d’autres questions controversées, notamment celle de la primauté romaine. / Synodality seems to be a very current topic, both for the bilateral theological dialogue between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, and for each individual Church. The pontificate of Pope Francis has emphasized synodality and the Orthodox Church has just convened its Great and Holy Council (Crete, June 2016). The Second Vatican Council in 1964 promulgated the doctrine of episcopal collegiality (the bishops are organized in a college which succeeds the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles), a doctrine which was to bring closer Catholic and Orthodox ecclesiologies. However, the Orthodox theologians did not appreciate the value of this doctrine. Fifty years after its promulgation, it is also noted that the implementation of episcopal collegiality in the Catholic Church is rather restricted. This research attempts to compare the notions of episcopal collegiality and episcopal synodality, exploring a common understanding between Catholics and Orthodox of the place of the bishops within the whole Church. For Orthodox theologians, episcopal synodality does not coincide with the doctrine of episcopal collegiality, as it was formulated during the Second Vatican Council. This research focused on the common tradition of the two Churches regarding episcopal synodality. The study of common sources, namely biblical, patristic and dogmatic, is proposed as the basis for an agreement on the issue of episcopal ministry and the synodality of bishops. Such an agreement is essential to address other issues, especially that of the Roman primacy.