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{"id":15576,"date":"2014-02-23T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-02-23T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/leithart.level2d.com\/?p=590"},"modified":"2014-02-23T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2014-02-23T00:00:00","slug":"head-and-body-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/leithart\/2014\/02\/head-and-body-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Head and Body"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

In his study of the sacramental shape of Eberhard Jungel\u2019s theology,\u00a0The Interruptive Word<\/a>, R. David Nelson suggests that \u201cin many types of ecclesiology, Jesus Christ and the church . . . are conceived as identical\u201d (167).<\/p>\n

He offers several examples, mostly Catholic: \u201cLumen gentium<\/em> . . . declares that the hierarchically structured church and the body of Christ form \u2018one complex reality comprising a human and a divine element.\u2019 Similarly, Tillard comments that the \u2018flesh of the church\u2019 and the \u2018flesh of Christ\u2019 together constitute a \u2018circumincessio <\/em>(a true mutual inhabiting).\u2019 And Rahner defines the church as \u2018the historical continuation of Christ in and through the community of those who believe in him\u2019\u201d (167). Jenson\u2019s effort to recover the Augustinian totus Christus <\/em>provides another example.<\/p>\n

None of these examples is what Nelson claims it is; that is, none treat Jesus Christ and the church as \u201cidentical.\u201d If anything, the quotation from Lumen gentium<\/em> asserts the identity of the church and the \u201cbody\u201d of Christ; the church can be a \u201cdivine-human\u201d reality without being identified with Christ. To be in a relation of circumincession, the church and Christ have to be distinct; a thing can\u2019t be in a relation of mutual habitation with itself<\/em>. The prepositions are key in Rahner\u2019s statement \u2013 Christ continues \u201cin\u201d and \u201cthrough\u201d the church, which indicates distinction. It\u2019s possible to have a totus Christus<\/em> ecclesiology without making head and body identical; union with distinction is the original Augustinian totus Christus<\/em> doctrine.<\/p>\n

Insofar as these ecclesiologies do identify Christ and the church, it seems that they are simply following Pauline hints: \u201cAs there is one body and many members, so also is Christ\u201d and \u201cwe are one Spirit with Him\u201d and \u201cno one hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ also the church.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"