Before examining the ministry areas of the body of Christ, we will look at this expression called, participation. We need to unpack some of the terms that are germane to this paper. Participation of the Father, Son and Spirit are described by Fiddes as perichoresis. Even though St. Augustine in the 4th century, wrote of the "mutual interpenetration and interdwelling" of the triune nature of God, it was Pseudo-Cyril, who first coined this term.[1] But it was John of Damascus, an eastern theologian that advanced its description. John described the action of perichoresis (Greek) or circumincession (Latin) as agreeing with the Nicene Creed where the Father, Son and, added later, Holy Spirit are one ousia or one essence. This to John naturally leads to the perichoresis, as they are all one essence.[2] Paul Fiddes continues this tradition by unpacking further the application of this meaning to the church eternal, here on earth. Fiddes says "according to the workings of the trinity, God the father with Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit working together in oneness to create not just the earth but the salvation offered it and the life we have together in the perichoretic dance."[3] This dance according to Fiddes is not about the movers but about the movement.[4] Thus we see in the body of Christ that two or more participants can occupy the same "social spaces" in this interpenetration or perichoresis of love. Thus imitating on earth and in the community of Christians the very act and semblance of the triune nature of God. Countering Kant's criticism of the trinity as nothing practical, Boff, in his book Trinity and Society
, says it is the "prototype of human community dreamed of by those who wish to improve society" the "model for any just, egalitarian ... social organization." Further he says, "each person receives everything from the other and at the same time gives everything to the others."[5] All though he does not take the implication and application to where Fiddes does he points to the communal aspect of God with man.
, says it is the "prototype of human community dreamed of by those who wish to improve society" the "model for any just, egalitarian ... social organization." Further he says, "each person receives everything from the other and at the same time gives everything to the others."[5] All though he does not take the implication and application to where Fiddes does he points to the communal aspect of God with man. The idea that the participation, the interpenetration, the "social spaces" of the Christian community is a reflection of God himself is seen clearly in 1 John 4:7. Here John points out that the love that is shared between members of the community is the point at which we come to know God and are "born of God". Is this the same as being one with God?
=Agaphtoi√, a˙gapwÇmen a˙llhvlouß,
o{ti hJ a˙ga◊ph e∆k tou: qeou: e∆stin,
kai… paÇß oJ a˙gapwÇn e∆k tou: qeou: gege√nnhtai
kai… ginw◊skei to;n qeovn.[6]
Certainly the author (here taken to be John) is saying that to know God one has to love. This love has to have an object as it target. If the loving is the knowing then Fiddes is correct in saying it is in these "social spaces" that God happens. The word for 'knowing" ginosko is a deeper knowing than an intellectual understanding. It is the same word used by the Septuagint (LXX) for when Adam knew Eve in sexual relationship (Genesis 4:1). This is in every way an interpenetration of knowing. The interrelatedness of this love (perichoresis) is not necessarily about the movers but the movement. This equates fully, not only to John's works, but also in Paul's description of how the body moves and grows. We see in Ephesians 4:16,
e∆x ou| paÇn to; swÇma sunarmologouvmenon kai… sumbibazovmenon
dia˝ pa◊shß aÓfh:ß th:ß e∆picorhgi√aß kat= e∆ne√rgeian e∆n
me√trw/ eÔno;ß eÔka◊stou me√rouß th;n au[xhsin tou: sw◊matoß
poieiætai ei∆ß oi∆kodomh;n eÔautou: e∆n a˙ga◊ph≥
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