Of the Church

This article by Metropolitan Anthony Bloom of Sourozh offers a theological reflection on the nature of the Church, based on a transcribed conference. The approach is meditative and synthetic, articulating ecclesiology, Christology and pneumatology. The central idea is that the Church constitutes a mystery that is both human and divine: a body of sinners seeking salvation, it is simultaneously inhabited by the risen Christ and the Holy Spirit, who orient it toward the Father. The author develops the Pauline images of the body and the graft to think through the union of believers with Christ, and addresses the cosmic dimension of the Incarnation. On the theological level, the article offers a reflection on the openness of the Church to the world, including non-Christians and atheists, drawing on figures such as Khomiakov, Saint Maximus, Saint Irenaeus and the Staretz Silouan.