The Acts of the Apostles as a Portrayal of the Synodal Church?
Krzysztof Mielcarek
The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin , Polandhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-8575-7966
Abstract
This article explores the concept of synodality in the Acts of the Apostles. Although the term σύνοδος is absent from the New Testament, potentially leading to premature negative assumptions, an etymological analysis of its components (the preposition σύν and the noun ἡ ὁδός) yields more positive insights. Drawing on synodal documents and selected passages from Luke’s second volume, the study establishes certain connections between the modern notion of synodality and the practices of the early Church, delineating essential criteria for the attitudes of members within today’s synodal Church.
Keywords:
synodality, etymology of σύνοδος, Acts of the Apostles, Lukan theologyReferences
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The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin
Krzysztof Mielcarek - Professor of Theology in the field of Biblical Studies; Head of the Chair of Exegesis of the Gospels and Apostolic Writings at the Institute of Biblical Studies of the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin. Research interests: The Gospel of Luke (Luke–Acts), the Septuagint, Hellenistic Judaism, and the early Christian period.
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