THOUGHT BUBBLE--then, now, and when

As the researching and writing of my ThM thesis continues, I will be posting some "thought bubbles" for the purpose of critique and clarification. Questions, comments, and corrections are welcome.

Reflecting on Emil Brunner's discussion of "apostolica" in Dogmatics Vol. III

When we look at church, we see form--or forms. Brunner insists that form is not an essential aspect of church and that a church is not apostolic if it concretizes its forms (social or dogmatic) rather than critiquing them according to the apostolic witness. Forms of church and dogma are subject to adjustment and correction. Three factors must be considered in the process: the "then" of church, its essence as the Ekklesia witnessed by the Apostles; the "now" of present culture and history; and the "when" of the eschatological future.

Are these three (especially the first and the last) clear enough for the several traditions to agree upon?

NOTE: This is a rumination ("1. The act of pondering; meditation. 2. The act or process of chewing cud." American Heritage Dictionary) in search of synergy ("1. The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects.")

Tag(s): missional ecclesiology

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