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Mother Church As Metaphor in Key Early Patristic Writers and Vatican Ii

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Mother Church As Metaphor in Key Early Patristic Writers and Vatican Ii MOTHER CHURCH AS METAPHOR IN KEY EARLY PATRISTIC WRITERS AND VATICAN II by Cristina Nava Lledo Gomez A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts, School of Theology, Charles Sturt University in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Theology © Cristina Nava Lledo Gomez Sydney, Australia February 2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORSHIP ...........................................................vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………..vii ABSTRACT ……………………………………………………………….x LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ......................................................................xii DEDICATION……………………………………………………………..xv Chapter INTRODUCTION ……………………………..…………………………...1 The Problem …………………………………...…..……....………….1 Brief History of Use of the Maternal Ecclesial Metaphor……….........4 Literature Review ………………………...…………………………..7 Methodology………….........................................................................18 Soskice on the Metaphor………………………………………….......20 1. Preliminary Definition of Metaphor ……………………….......20 2. Characteristics of the Metaphor ……………………………….21 3. The Dynamics of Metaphorical Use …………………………...22 a) The Associative Network ……………………………….22 b) Model and Metaphor ………………………………........23 c) The Speaker, Hearer, Referencing, and Referent………..25 d) Meaning and Reference Versus Sense & Denotation.......26 e) Creating New Vision ……………………........................27 4. The Dead Metaphor ....................................................................28 5. Definitive Definition ………………………...…………............29 The Mother Church as Metaphor …………………………………......30 Thesis Structure ………………………………………………….........32 A Note on Thesis Length, Scripture References and Gendered Language …………………………………………………………......35 PART 1 MOTHER CHURCH IN KEY EARLY PATRISTIC WRITERS …………..36 I. IRENAEUS FIRST ALLUSIONS OF MOTHER CHURCH AS ECCLESIAL COMMUNITY...............36 Background & Significance………………………………….................37 Irenaeus’ Rhetorical Method ……………………….………………….39 Mother Church Texts and Contexts …………………………................45 1. Who is the Mother? …………………………………..…..............46 a) The Community as the Intercessor, Martyr, and Virgin…46 b) A Virginal Bride ………………………………………...52 c) It Breastfeeds – It Teaches …….………………………...55 d) A Background of Anatolian Worship …………………...62 2. Mary as Mother Church? …………………………………. ……..64 Chapter Conclusion ..……………………………………………….......67 II. TERTULLIAN FIRST EXPLICIT AND CONSISTENT APPLICATION OF MATER ECCLESIA……......71 First to explicitly utilize the maternal ecclesial metaphor ……………...72 Background & Significance……………………………………………..75 Tertullian’s Rhetorical Method …………………………………….. …..76 Mother Church Texts and Contexts ………………………………..........81 1. Who is the Mother? ……………..…………………………............84 ii a) Birther, nourisher, martyr ………………………………….84 b) Spouse of God, the Materfamilia..……………..………...91 c) One Who Supercedes All Other Mothers……………......103 Chapter Conclusion ……….………………………………………..110 III. CYPRIAN: FROM THE MATERFAMILIA TO THE MATRONA ………………114 Background & Significance………………………………………...115 Cyprian’s Rhetorical Method ………………………………………118 Mother Church Texts and Contexts ………………………………..122 1. Who is the Mother? ……………..…………………………. 123 2. The Introduction of Complex Images…………………….... 125 3. Mother Church as Mater-Sponsa……………………………129 4. Mother Church’s Remaining Simple Maternal Image …….. 131 5. Propaganda and the ancient Roman Matrona……………… 132 6. Carthage’s Own Ara Pacis Augustae..................................... 137 7. The Roman Matrona and Cyprian’s Mother Church………. 138 8. Representing a Desired Unity in the Church and Empire….. 146 9. A Jewish basis for use of the mother metaphor……………..154 Chapter Conclusion ..……………………………………………….158 IV. AMBROSE: THE CHURCH IS EVERY FEMALE – BRIDE, VIRGIN, MOTHER, SISTER, DAUGHTER, WIDOW, AND QUEEN………………………………… 162 Background & Significance…………………………………………164 Ambrose’s Rhetorical Method ……………………………………...166 Mother Church Texts and Contexts ………………………………...169 1. The Mother-Virgin-Bride Context……………..…………….180 a) Mother Church is a Virgin…………………………..180 b) Mother-Virgin Church is a Spouse………………….188 2. Mary as Mother Church………………………………………193 a) Utilising Mary for Ambrose’s Ecclesial Ascetic Argument ………………………………………………………..193 b) Presenting Mary against the Jovinianist Controversy ………………………………………………………..195 Chapter Conclusion………………………………………………….200 V. AUGUSTINE: THE WOMAN FROM ‘ABOVE’ AND ‘BELOW’………………..204 Background & Significance…………………………………………205 Augustine’s Rhetorical Method ………………………………….....206 Mother Church Texts and Contexts ………………………………...210 1. A Significant Metaphor among Other Ecclesial Metaphors….210 a) Parallels between Mother Church, Mother Jerusalem, and Monica ………………………………………………………..212 b) Also a Roman Mother…………...…………………..219 2. A Metaphor to Oppose Controversies…………..……………220 a) Manichaeism ………….…………………………….220 b) Donatism…………………………………………….223 c) Jovinianism………………………………………….237 3. Mother Church as the New Eve and as Mary………………...244 a) The New Eve………………………………………...245 b) Mary…………………………………………………248 Chapter Conclusion…………………………………………………..256 iii PART 2 MOTHER CHURCH IN THE VATICAN II DOCUMENTS………………262 VI. PRINCIPLES FOR EXPLORING THE MATERNAL ECCLESIAL METAPHOR IN VATICAN II………………………………………………………………..262 1. A Pastoral Focus for Vatican II……………………………….262 2. Inserting the Marian schema within the Church schema……..267 3. Mary as ‘Type’ of the Church and Her ‘Antitype’…………...273 4. Ecclesial images in LG and in the other documents………….275 5. Western Maternal Imaging in the 1930’s to 50’s …………….281 6. Foundational Papal Texts Pointing to the Church’s Maternity at the Council………………………………………………………...287 7. The four Constitutions as “interpretative keys”……………….293 Chapter Conclusion ..……………………………………………...294 VII. MOTHER CHURCH WITHIN THE CONSTITUTIONS………………………298 1. In the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium (LG)…………………………………………………300 a) An Initial Reading……………………………………...300 b) Analysis in Light of Vatican II Background and Commentary ………………………………………………………..307 c) The Ecclesial Mother of LG…………………………....312 d) The Ambrosian and Augustinian Key References of LG ………………………………………………………..314 (i) Augustine in LG 64…………………………..315 (ii) Ambrose in LG 64………………………….....320 2. In the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy Sacrosanctum Concilium (SC)…………………………….……..324 a) Mother Church Texts of SC………………………….…324 b) The Ecclesial Mother of SC………………………….....328 3. In the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et Spes (GS)……………………………………….…..339 a) Mother Church Texts of GS…………………………….339 b) The Ecclesial Mother of GS…..………………………...340 4. In the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation Dei Verbum (DV)…………………………………………………346 a) Mother Church Texts of DV………………………..…..346 b) The Ecclesial Mother of DV…………………………....349 Chapter Conclusion…………………………………………………..355 VIII. MOTHER CHURCH IN THE OTHER VATICAN II DOCUMENTS………. …...359 1. Decree on the Instruments of Social Communication Inter Mirifica (IM)..........................................................................359 a) Mother Church Texts of IM………………………….359 b) The Ecclesial Mother of IM………………………….361 2. Declaration on Christian Education Gravissimum Educationis (GE).....……………………………….363 a) Mother Church Texts of GE……...………………….363 b) The Ecclesial Mother of GE……………...………….364 3. Decree on the Church’s Missionary Activity Ad Gentes Divinus (AG)..…………………………………....368 a) Mother Church Texts of AG…………………….…..368 b) The Ecclesial Mother of AG………………………...369 iv 4. Decree on Ecumenism Unitatis Redintegratio (UR)..………………….………….....371 a) Mother Church Texts of UR………………………....371 b) The Ecclesial Mother of UR………………………....372 5. Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to Non-Christians Nostra Aetate (NA) …...……………….……………………….….376 a) Mother Church Text of NA…..……………………..376 b) The Ecclesial Mother of NA……………….………..377 6. Declaration on Religious Freedom Dignitatis Humanae (DH)...….379 a) Mother Church Text of DH…..…………………….379 b) The Ecclesial Mother of DH……………………….380 5. Decree on the Appropriate Renewal of the Religious Life Perfectae Caritatis (PC)…………….…..........……………….......381 a) Mother Church Text of PC…..…………………….381 b) The Ecclesial Mother of PC………………………..381 6. Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests Presbyterorum Ordinis (PO)..…………………………...……….382 a) Mother Church Text of PO…..…………………….382 b) The Ecclesial Mother of PO….……………………. 383 7. Decree on Priestly Formation Optatam Totius (OT)….………….385 a) Mother Church Text of OT…..……………………...385 b) The Ecclesial Mother of OT….…………………….. 385 8. Decree on the Bishop’s Pastoral Office in the Church Christus Dominus (CD)………..…………………………….…..386 a) Mother Church Text of CD…..……………………….386 b) The Ecclesial Mother of CD….……………………....387 9. Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity Apostolicam Actuositatem (AA)…………………………………...388 10. Decree on Eastern Catholic Churches Orientalium Ecclesiarum (OE)…..………………...……………...389 Chapter Conclusion…………………………………..……………. ...390 IX. ANALYSIS AND CRITIQUE OF THE MATERNAL ECCLESIAL METAPHOR IN THE VATICAN II DOCUMENTS.....................................................……………………392 Critique from a Soskicean Metaphorical Theory Perspective………...392 Critique from Feminist Maternal Theoretical Perspectives…………...402 Considerations………………………………………………………...413 Chapter Conclusion………………………………………………..….414 THESIS CONCLUSION………………………………………………….......418 BIBLIOGRAPHY .............................................................................................439
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