In what sense is the Christian Church "one"?

Then why don't you apply that underlying essential unity (of all) to Christianity, as per the question ?

-Akolouthos

I agree with you. There are divisions--very real divisions. These divisions are obvious and visible. I am not so much speaking of an obvious perceivable unity as an underlying essential unity. I completely subscribe to the theory (and please forgive me if I am misreading you here) that every individual perceives circumstances, emotions, ideas, etc. differently. Hence, the question is "In what sense is the Christian Church 'one'? " If you like, it might be better phrased (in fact it would be better phrased thus: "In what sense can the Christian Church be considered one?" Describing how it is divided is simple; the divisions are obvious, very visible realities. Describing in what sense it maintains its essential, and, according to Scripture and the Patristic tradition, necessary unity, is a bit more difficult.

-Akolouthos

P.S. I don't support killing people in order to stop them from thinking...not yet anyway .

Saint Paul wrote these words to the Church at Ephesus, during his imprisonment in Rome (61-63 A.D.) They follow his plea for unity in Corinthians (ca. 55 A.D.):

The words of Paul ring true today for millions of Christians around the world who long for the unity of the Apostolic faith. We, however, are forced to live in practical/realistic terms. The schisms of the ninth-thirteenth centuries, which divided the �one catholic and apostolic Church� of the Ecumenical period, are historical facts, as is the further fragmentation of the Church during the Reformation. Today there are thousands of churches and denominations, all calling themselves Christian.

My question, then, is this: In what sense can we understand the words of the creed-- �one holy catholic and apostolic Church�--today?

There are many different views on how the Church can remain visibly divided yet essentially whole. Certain Anglican theologians have proposed something that has come to be known as �branch theory� (implying that each �true� church holds a part of the message (refer to I Cor. 12). Other theologians propose that logical justifications are unnecessary, for the Church, though it remains divided according to its--if I may borrow a term used by the Roman theologians regarding the Eucharist--accidental properties, is, in its essential properties, undivided. Regardless, the division of Christendom has caused wars, persecutions, and intellectual discord down through the centuries--hardly the goal of the Christian message.

So I restate my question : In what sense can we understand the words of the creed--�one holy catholic and apostolic Church�--today?

Cheers.

-Akolouthos

BTW, please, no matter what your religious beliefs (or lack thereof) may be, feel free to engage in this conversation. The broader the range of critical/analytical thought that is brought into this discussion, the more likely an understanding, of some sort, may be achieved.