The Crisis of Authority and Representation – Who Represents Whom and with What Power in the Church?

Abstract

The study aims to explore the theological relationship between two concepts: authority (auctoritas) and representation (representatio). Both concepts indicate the good order of the Church’s life and governance, but also its crisis. The question is what theological, spiritual, juridical, ecclesiastical, personal, and social conditions must be met in order for the Church to be represented with correctly understood authority at the various levels of its ministry. The analysis first presents the social scientific interpretation of authority and its role in political philosophy, followed by a specific theological interpretation. The conclusion is that although all authority in the Church is derived from Christ, the Holy Scriptures, and the apostolic tradition, the authority of the Church as a religious organization has replaced this throughout history. This has generated further crises and contributed to a misinterpretation of the meaning of office and church leadership, as well as to the formation of power structures, which even the churches of the Reformation were unable to correct completely. This also has an impact on the crisis of representation. Thus, the lecture draws attention to the possible causes of the crisis, seeks possibilities for theological correction, a proper Reformed interpretation of representation and authority, and the practical consequences of this interpretation for the life of the church and civil society.