The Priesthood of All Believers in the Twenty-First Century

Living Faithfully as the Whole People of God in a Postmodern Context

Muthiah

• Publisher: Pickwick Publications
• Year: 2009
• eBook ISBN: 9781630879976
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Religion

Robert Muthiah believes a deepened theology of the priesthood of all believers is essential for answering the crucial questions of what shape the church should take in the twenty-first century, and how this theological query relates to the lived experiences of congregations. Emerging churches, which tend to develop vibrant practices of the priesthood of all believers, need to develop more fully their ecclesiological underpinnings, while historic churches, with a well-developed theology of the priesthood of all believers, need a renewed vigor to allow this theology to shape their congregational lives. With recourse to relevant New Testament texts and theological conversations, The Priesthood of All Believers in the Twenty-First Cenutry argues for a fresh understanding and embodiment of the priesthood of all believers by setting ecclesiology, postmodern culture, and congregational practices in dialogue. Elements of the discussion include ecumenical and Free church perspectives, Trinitarian correspondence, postmodern social structures, the relevance of Alasdair McIntyre's social practices for congregations, and forms of congregational leadership.

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Introduction

Contours of the Project

The priesthood of all believers is part of the ecclesiality of the church and yet current theologies, church structures, and practices often work against the development of congregations that involve the whole people of God in ministry. While Luther lifted up the priesthood of all believers as a key aspect of the church, in the centuries since then the importance assigned to this theology has ebbed and flowed. There is never a time, however, when the priesthood of all believers is not crucial in the life of the church—it belongs to the esse, not the bene esse, of the church.

This project argues for a fresh understanding and embodiment of the priesthood of all believers. Championing the priesthood of all believers has been a mark of renewal movements in the church for centuries and such voices have been heard throughout the whole range of theological traditions, especially since the 1960s. The originality of this work lies in the construction of an argument that puts a trinitarian ecclesiology, postmodern culture, and congregational practices in dialogue.

To set the framework for the discussion, we will examine the New Testament’s relationship to the priesthood of all believers and get an overview the contemporary theological discussions around this topic (ch. 2). Specific texts as well as overarching themes in Scripture are explored in order to show how this theology took shape in the NT churches. The contemporary discussion is introduced by touching on several historical turning points related to the royal priesthood. We examine contemporary ecumenical perspectives by analyzing relevant Vatican II and World Council of Churches documents before turning to perspectives from within the Free Church tradition (my own location). A number of Free Church voices are highlighted with deeper analysis given to the contributions of John Howard Yoder and Miroslav Volf. This chapter points to the diversity of views regarding the content of the theology of the priesthood of all believers and foreshadows the ecclesiology that will be developed in the next chapter.

The theology of the priesthood of all believers promoted in this project is grounded through an examination of the correspondence between the Trinity and church (ch. 3). We will see how this correspondence is evident in the charisms that shape the church. A pneumatological ecclesiology emerges from this examination of the Trinity and the charisms, an ecclesiology that points to the priesthood of all believers as a social entity that is egalitarian, non-dominating, unified, and differentiated. After this view of the royal priesthood is developed, we will look at its implications for ordination, a place where one’s true understanding of the church is revealed.

This ecclesiology must be lived out in the context of postmodernity, which provides both opportunities and obstacles for the church to live as the priesthood of all believers. The church always exists in the context of other social institutions, but the church must never simply adopt the values of those institutions. To explore the relationship between postmodernity and the royal priesthood, we will look at how three overarching institutions of postmodernity—globalization, individualism, and technique—relate to an understanding and embodiment of the priesthood of all believers (ch. 4). The church must be critically aware of its cultural context if the church is to live as the priesthood of all believers in the midst of competing structural and moral alternatives without compromising its identity.

My interest here is in doing practical theology, and therefore I work to make explicit connections between these ecclesiological and cultural discussions and the life of the local church. While such connections are made throughout, this is done in an extended way by looking at social practices (ch. 5) to show how a theology of the priesthood of all believers both contributes to and emerges from congregational praxis. We will discuss and add to Alasdair MacIntyre’s conception of social practices in order to speak of Christian practices. Five exemplary congregational practices emerge and find connection to the priesthood of all believers. For these practices to flourish interpretive leadership is needed in our congregations, thus, we consider the nature of the interpretive task and call attention to the way it contributes to the vibrancy of congregational practices that embody and inform a theology of the priesthood of all believers. The final chapter (ch. 6) raises issues for further research and discussion.

Method

Because this is a work in practical theology, an explanation of methodology is important. Friedrich Schleiermacher is commonly viewed as the father of practical theology. In his Brief Outline on the Study of Theology he divided the study of theology into three parts: philosophical theology, historical theology, and practical theology.1 The development of practical theology as an academic discipline grew out of Schleiermacher’s schema. Although Schleiermacher’s approach initially may appear to give an equal valuing to these three parts, Schleiermacher actually viewed practical theology as secondary to philosophical and historical theology. Although he referred to practical theology as “the crown of theological studies,”2 he in fact treated practical theology as the servant of theological studies. In his view, the purpose of practical theology was to simply implement what had been determined by philosophical and historical theology. In speaking about the actions of practical theology, Schleiermacher said:

It is not among the aims of practical theology to teach the right conception of these tasks. Rather, presupposing this, it has only to do with correct procedures for executing all the tasks which are to be included within the notion of ‘Church leadership.’3

The role of practical theology for Schleiermacher was that of applying theory to practice.

In contrast, I view practical theology as the reflection upon the mutually informing nature of concepts and actions. Our actions themselves are theory laden and thus they embody theology rather than just apply theology. All our actions have theological content; the task of practical theology is to bring this content to the surface for articulation, reflection, and modification. This project builds on the assumption that theology shapes actions and actions shape theology.

Another undergirding assumption is that the Holy Spirit is present and at work as the community moves back and forth between reflection and action, so practical theology is more than an exercise in social science. The Spirit brings the presence of Christ to the process through the word, church tradition, and the living community. So I understand practical theology to be a pneumatological endeavor.

We employ a critical correlational approach to practical theology, similar to that set forth by Don Browning.4 Correlations are made between the Trinity, Scripture, and the church, as well as between the stated theology of the church and the church’s practices. This approach is called critical because it evaluates these correlations.

Browning’s model of practical theology includes four movements: descriptive theology, historical theology, systematic theology, and strategic practical theology.5 Because Browning sees action as integrally related with understanding and interpretation, Browning’s fourth movement, strategic practical theology, is not merely the application of theory to practice. Like the other movements, this movement, too, is reflective. In addition, this fourth movement is present in the other three movements; questions of action interpenetrate the theoretical movements all along.6

Accordingly, this project begins with application in mind. Questions regarding the nature of the priesthood of all believers arose out of my congregational experience, and so behind the theological and cultural sections (historical, systematic, and descriptive theology) always lurks the question of how this discussion relates to the local church (strategic practical theology). The arguments in ch. 5 on Christian practices make explicit the intertwined nature of theory and practice and drive for a re-integration of the conversation into the life of the local church.

Several terms are used interchangeably to refer to the idea that all Christians share in the ministry of the church. The “priesthood of all believers,” a phrase used by Martin Luther, is one of these. The “royal priesthood,” a phrase found in 1 Peter 2:9, is another. At points I use “the common priesthood,” a phrase often used in Catholic circles where the phrase “the priesthood of all believers” is avoided because of its association with Luther and the Reformation. Other phrases used as synonyms include “the universal priesthood” and “the whole people of God.” This general idea will be given more specific content as we go.

1. Schleiermacher, Brief Outline on the Study of Theology.

2. Ibid., 125.

3. Ibid., 92.

4. Browning’s approach, in turn, follows closely that of David Tracy. Browning, A Fundamental Practical Theology, 44.

5. Ibid., 8 and passim.

6. Ibid., 57.

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New Testament and Theological Perspectives on the Priesthood of All Believers

The priesthood of all believers is a key idea Luther addressed. His work brought to the church a new perspective. We must be aware, however, that this idea goes back much further than Luther, and the discussions of his day brought no finality to the debate regarding th...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Acknowledgments
• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: New Testament and Theological Perspectives on the Priesthood of All Believers
• Chapter 3: An Ecclesiology that Demands a Royal Priesthood
• Chapter 4: Institutions of Postmodernity and the Priesthood of All Believers
• Chapter 5: Congregational Practices and the Priesthood of All Believers
• Chapter 6: Conclusion
• Bibliography