Master of Arts in Theology

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Browsing Master of Arts in Theology by Subject "Authority"

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    Opportunities and Challenges Related To the Way Authority and Charism Are Exercised In the Church With Reference To The Meropolitan Archdiocese of Ibadan in Nigeria
    (Tangaza University College/Duquesne University, 2017) Kpatcha, Koffi Manzamesso
    Today and all along the history of humanity, the question of authority remains actual in all sectors of society, be it social, traditional, political, cultural as well as in the Church. Societies need to organize themselves for the good of individual persons in particular as well as for the good of the community in general. For, there is no human society which functions without the minimum of means and discipline to attain its purpose and goals. Talking of the organisation of the Church, it is more and more evident that the principal problem that has cut across the life of the Church from its beginning up to today is nothing different from the question of authority in its relation to Charism. Vatican II inaugurated a new and fresh view on the relationship between authority and charism in the Church and its mission. It remains until today one of the biggest challenge contemporary cultures address the Church after more than fifty years of Vatican II. It is evident that authority in the Church has different aspirations from the authority in the secular societies for the simple fact that the Church is both human and divine and her ultimate purpose transcends both the material world and its history. The Church as established by Jesus found its strength from the resurrection, when the risen Lord himself encouraged and commissioned his followers to carry on his mission. The encounter of the disciples with the glorified Jesus, led them to a deeper experience of faith in Him as the expected Messiah. The encounter of the disciples with Jesus transformed them and made of them new people. They, who were terrified by the tragic death of Jesus became bold and courageous and expressed their faith without fear. The conviction they had after the risen Lord had manifested himself to them prompted them to open new Christian communities to new believers from every nation, culture and tribe. The period just after the resurrection of Jesus, was not so easy for the Apostles and their followers. For the new movement which was Christianity was seen as an illicit religion with regard to Judaism seen as the main stream religion of Israel. Thus the first Christian communities experienced persecutions from the members of Judaism. Facing such difficulties, the Church grew in membership and in organising herself in order to clarify the question regarding her identity and authority. The image of the Church as the People of God found its foundation in the letters of the New Testament. Leonardo Boff in his book `Church Charism and Power` highlights that since the fourth century the Church has fallen victim of a kind of power that had nothing to do with the gospel values. The historical realities, preserved in the monarchical model of the Church, gave a different image of the Church regarding her organisation. The monarchical model of the Church was given a different direction by Vatican II, which redefined the Church as the people of God. The Church as the people of God became the central reference during and after Vatican II Council. Such image led the Church back to its primitive dynamics of community where cooperation between authority and Charism is seen as service. The Church as the People of God is organised through its charism and through the exercise of its authority to be at the service of the community. Therefore, the aim of this present research is to explore and expand on, the Challenges and opportunities related to the way how authority and charism are exercised in the Church and its mission as it was intended by Christ and see how this Church of Christ had evolved in her identity and in her organisation. Moreover, in its development, this research will elaborate on the opportunities and challenges related to the way authority is exercised in the Church of Ibadan Archdiocese according to Christ’s mandate to his followers. Furthermore, this research will try to see how the charism can operate in the proclamation of the kingdom of God on earth vis a vis the opportunities and cooperation between charism and authority can be seen as a complementary services rather than domination and oppression.