THE CHURCH AND THE

WORLD IN CONVERSATION
The City of God and “Interurban” Dialogue
Michael J. Himes

Presenter: Nguyễn Hữu Phong SJ

Outline
 Problem
 Introduction:
The World – The Church – The Kingdom
 Why having conversations?
 Characteristics of the conversation
 The Church as sacrament is the most appropriate image for the
conversation
 Conclusion
 Reflection
Problem

 The Second Vatican council, in GS, call the Church move

out to have a conversation with the world.
 However, what the Church has done since then has been
only “intramural.”
 In this writing, the author emphasized that conversation
with the world is a necessary way for the Church to fulfill
her mission.
Introduction
The World – The Church – The Kingdom

 The world coexists with the Kingdom (City of God)

 The world is both good and evil
 Good: the world is the object of the Gospel (John 3:16)
 Evil: The world is also the enemy of the Gospel (John 1:10; 15:18)
 The Kingdom is the city of God
 “already-but-not-yet”
 Transforming the world
 The Church is a “third thing” supporting the transformation of the
world.
Why having conversations?

 Because it is the duty of the Church

 GS 1: “The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this
age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys
and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ. Indeed, nothing
genuinely human fails to raise an echo in their hearts. For theirs is a
community composed of men. United in Christ, they are led by the Holy
Spirit in their journey to the Kingdom of their Father and they have welcomed
the news of salvation which is meant for every man. That is why this
community realizes that it is truly linked with mankind and its history by the
deepest of bonds.”
Why having conversations?

 Because having conversations is “the most striking evidence of

love” for the world
 GS 3:“Though mankind is stricken with wonder at its own discoveries and its power,
it often raises anxious questions about the current trend of the world, about the place
and role of man in the universe, about the meaning of its individual and collective
strivings, and about the ultimate destiny of reality and of humanity. Hence, giving
witness and voice to the faith of the whole people of God gathered together by
Christ, this council can provide no more eloquent proof of its solidarity with, as well
as its respect and love for the entire human family with which it is bound up, than by
engaging with it in conversation about these various problems. The council brings
to mankind light kindled from the Gospel, and puts at its disposal those saving
resources which the Church herself, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, receives
from her Founder. For the human person deserves to be preserved; human society
deserves to be renewed. Hence the focal point of our total presentation will be man
himself, whole and entire, body and soul, heart and conscience, mind and will.”
Characteristics of the conversation

 “two directions”:
“ecclesia docens and ecclesia discens” (teaching church and
learning church)
 Ecclesia docens:
 Proclaim the Good News as before
 Ecclesia discens:
 read “the signs of the times” (the world now become a locus for theology) and
respond to it
 Ex: Feminism is the movement started by the world, not by the Church; but
now the Church take it and develop it based on the Bible.
 Attention: The church illuminates the world rather than all the times giving
solutions to its problems.
Characteristics of the conversation

 “Authentic”
 Governed by the question under discussion
 No conclusion before joining in the discussion
 The end of it is “our common action”
The Church as sacrament is
the most appropriate image for the conversation

 “The church is a sacrament, a ‘sign that God in his merciful love

identifies himself in Christ with the world.”
 Sacrament is “the sign that effects (graces) what it signifies.”
 The grace, through the church as the fundamental sacrament, is
omnipresent in the whole world. It has been there through Christ as
the original sacrament of God for the world. It has been transforming
the world into the Kingdom whether the world recognizes it or not.
 The conversational element happens here when one tells others
about those graces, through the church as sacrament. Telling them
that graces are always there and tell the world to accept them to be
saved.
The Church as sacrament is
the most appropriate image for the conversation

 “The Church is a tertium quid. As

sacramental embodiment of the kingdom,
it has something to say; as sacramental
revelation of the truth of the world, it has
something to say and something to hear. It
is a locus of conversation.”
Conclusion

 The Church consider itself as communio. However, the

communio is only “intramural,” that is, inside the
church. What we should focus more is the
“extramural” aspect of the communion, which is having
conversations with the world.
 Is it possible or just a over-positive viewpoint of the
council? Gaudium et Spes is not about the positivism
but about the hope (Spes) for its fulfillment.
Reflection

 I agree totally with the author. In this new age, having

conversations among all religions and people is the
emergent need, especially in Viet Nam still under the
influence of the hierchachical government and
communism.
 One problem: Having conversation is really possible
when Christianity always presumes its true and complete
revelation in comparison with other religions or groups?