By What Authority?

Authority is a relational concept. Questions about authority in the Church are really inquiries regarding the true author or source of its life and mission to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ, the Word of God. Just as God was the true author of Jesus’ life, grounded as it was in his relationship to the Father, so also the Church finds its “authority” in Jesus Christ.

Rather than a possession, authority names the quality of relationship and is maintained in the character of the relationship. Where one might speak of the Bible, the creed or a pope as possessing authority, this authority in fact resides in the relationship between the community of faith and the Bible, the creed or the bishop/pope. Thus, terms like “authoritative” and “authoritarian” hint at different kinds of relationship.

Our workshop will deal with questions of authority regarding the Bible (how does the community relate with the Bible as normative), the Church’s teaching office (what does it mean to teach and be taught in a mutual manner) and the sense of the faithful (how do members of the Church discern together the enlightenment the Spirit gifts the community with, even when conflicting views arise).

Each session will consist of three segments:
1. an introductory input to map out the main points of a specific topic on authority;
2. guided small group discussions; and
3. a topical summary incorporating and elaborating insights from the input and the discussions.

Facilitator

José M. de Mesa, a lay theologian, is recognized as one of the most important theologians of the world today by the Missionwissenschaftliches Missio in Aachen, Germany. He is presently a University Fellow at De La Salle University, Manila and a Professor of Applied Theology at the Inter-Congregational Theological Centre in the Philippines. He also teaches regularly in Theological Union in Chicago and East Asia Pastoral Institute and is a published author.

When

Thursday, 29 July 2010 (7.30 pm – 10.00 pm)
Friday, 30 July 2010 (7.30 pm – 10.00 pm)
Saturday, 31 July 2010 (10.00 am – 4.00 pm)

Where

La Salle Hall, Jalan 5/15B
Off Jalan Gasing, 46000 Petaling Jaya

How much

Fee is RM60 inclusive of refreshments & light lunch on Saturday

Who to ask

Bernie (012-2637912) or Angeline (03-7955 0845)
chowbernie at yahoo dot com