The Space Between Considering the Church as Relational Subject

Abstract

Much of our reflection on the nature of the concrete church has rightly been focused upon the people, practices, and contexts that shape ecclesial realities. Largely missing from our considerations is a substantial engagement with the relationships that connect and animate the church as a social and theological system. How are we to proceed in filling this gap in ecclesiology? On what grounds can we claim to observe relationships and not the points that they connect? How are we to gain acccess to the testimony of a relationship? And if this is possible, how might this information contribute to our understanding of local ecclesiology? In an attempt to clear the way forward, this article will examine the vision for relational sociology presented by Pierpaolo Donati and Margaret Archer in their book The Relational Subject, present a theological argument for applying their insights to congregational studies, and consider the implications of examining ecclesial relationships as an ontological subject in their own right.