Unit rationale, description and aim
Many of the issues facing Christians today relate fundamentally to the way the nature and mission of the Church is understood and lived. It is essential to have a sound grasp of ecclesiology in order to understand the role and purpose of the Church, especially for those who intend to work for Church-based organisations. Moreover, one of the key contemporary challenges for the Catholic Church is the reception of Vatican II's ecclesiological vision. This unit explores different ecclesiologies that extend from the early church to the post-conciliar period, with a particular focus on the ecclesiology of the Second Vatican Council as the theological underpinning for the contemporary Catholic Church. It examines the nature and mission of the Church, especially in reference to the communio approach of Vatican II and key challenges facing the Church in today's context, in light of the continual call to ecclesial renewal. The aim of this unit is to introduce students to the study of ecclesiology, guide them in developing a sound grasp of key ecclesiological models and issues, and help them to articulate the relevance of the Church both today and into the future.
Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unitLearning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Describe the nature and mission of the Church, inc...
Learning Outcome 01
Analyse the significance of contemporary ecclesiol...
Learning Outcome 02
Evaluate the relevance, mission, and challenges fa...
Learning Outcome 03
Content
Topics will include:
- Scriptural basis and images of the Church;
- The Four Marks of the Church
- Early Christian ecclesiologies and developments;
- Significant ecclesiological visions that have emerged in history;
- Vatican II’s ecclesiological vision of the church as communion and sacrament, with focus on Lumen Gentium and Gaudium et Spes;
- The mission of the Church;
- The Church, local and universal, visible and invisible;
- Post-conciliar debates and developments;
- Pope Francis on a synodal and a missionary Church;
- Contemporary ecclesiological challenges and the future of the Church;
- Implications for church-based organisations and agencies.
Assessment strategy and rationale
Given the alignment of learning outcomes to the assessment tasks, in order to pass this unit, students are required to attempt all assessment tasks and achieve an overall mark of Pass (50%).
The assessment tasks for this unit are designed for students to demonstrate their achievement of each learning outcome. The three assessment tasks align with the constructivist sequence outlined in the learning outcomes and the teaching and learning strategy, which moves in sequence from explanation, to analysis, to evaluation.
Assessment task 1 enables students to display achievement of LO1 by asking them to explain what the nature and mission of the Church is, by outlining its various dimensions and their interconnections. This is a foundational activity, aimed at enabling students to display their grasp of the nature and mission of the Church. It forms a platform for Assessment tasks 2 and 3.
Assessment task 2 shifts from explanation to analysis, asking students to research and write an essay analysing Vatican II’s ecclesiological vision, with reference to key historical ecclesiological visions or models, as well as analysing their respective strengths and weaknesses. This task is designed to help students understand what the Church is intended to be and to study how the Church has actually been lived and manifested in different ways in history, with a special focus on Vatican II ecclesiology. It aligns with LO 2.
Assessment task 3 enables students to display achievement of LO 3. The focus of this task is on evaluation. Students are asked to critically evaluate how the Church might approach the need for ongoing ecclesial renewal, now and into the future, considering the relevance, mission, issues and challenges facing the Church. This final task focuses on the meaning and relevance, as well as challenges and issues, of the Church in today’s world and into the future.
Overview of assessments
Descriptive Task: Requires students to describe ...
Descriptive Task:
Requires students to describe the nature and mission of Church, including its biblical basis, early development, key features, and four marks.
20%
Research Essay: Require students to write an ess...
Research Essay:
Require students to write an essay on Vatican II ecclesiology, with reference to key ecclesiological visions/models, and including analysis of their relative strengths and weaknesses.
40%
Academic Report: Require students to critically ...
Academic Report:
Require students to critically evaluate how the Church might approach the need for ongoing ecclesial renewal, now and into the future, considering its nature and mission, and the issues and challenges it faces.
40%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit involves 150 hours of focused learning, or the equivalent of 10 hours per week for 15 weeks. The total includes formally structured learning activities such as lectures, tutorials and online learning. The remaining hours typically involve reading, research, and the preparation of tasks for assessment.
The unit is normally offered in attendance mode or multi-mode. Students learn through formally structured and sequenced learning activities that support the achievement of the learning outcomes. Learning activities are structured according to the constructivist developmental sequence, beginning with explaining and defining what the Church is, then shifting to focus on analysing Vatican II’s vision of the Church with reference to key ecclesiological models, and finally focusing on evaluating how the Church might approach the need for ongoing ecclesial renewal and reform, considering the relevance, mission, and challenges facing the Church now and into the future. Learning is designed to be an engaging and supportive student-centred experience, and student participation is essential.
THCT307 emphasises students as active, adult learners, who engage best when what they are learning is relevant to them, classes provide space for them to discuss different perspectives and come to their own conclusions, and they receive the opportunity to be responsible for their own learning. Students are asked to critically comprehend, reflect, analyse, and integrate new information with existing knowledge, draw meaningful new connections, share their knowledge and perspective with others, and apply what they have learned to their own contexts.