The Roman Church's use of the title "Catholic," derived from the Greek word for "universal," presents a historical and theological tension. While undoubtedly an ancient and globally significant communion, its claim to universality is challenged by the historical reality that the Bishop of Rome was initially understood as a co-equal patriarch alongside the leaders of other major Christian centers like Constantinople, Alexandria, and Jerusalem, particularly during the era of the first seven Ecumenical Councils (ending 787 CE). The later assertion of Roman primacy contributed significantly to the tragic divisions within Christendom, leading first to the Great Schism with the Eastern Orthodox and subsequently to the fractures of the Protestant Reformation, meaning the Roman Church has arguably never represented the entirety of the universal Church.
Especially on Christian High Holy Days like Ash Wednesday, I am asked how School Chaplains proclaim the Good News of Jesus in the midst of a diverse school environment, with students and staff of all faiths and no faith at all. Unlike local Episcopal parishes, in our pews we have Christians and Muslims, Jews and Gentiles, Hindus and Buddhists, Sikh and Secular, and everyone in between and beyond. I could use fancy language and talk about how chaplains navigate the particularity of Christ's Incarnation and the universality of God's Love, or about how we discern between models of Theological exclusivism and pluralism and inclusivism. But let me see if I can do it in a few paragraphs without specialized language:
This is a bunch of incoherent babble to make us think hard about our incredible love affair with the God of the universe, our astounding infidelities against God, and God's incredible grace to heal and restore us through Christ. Everything on this site is copyright © 1996-2023 by Nathan L. Bostian so if you use it, please cite me. You can contact me at natebostian [at] gmail [dot] com
