The Church as Person in the Theologies of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, John D. Zizioulas and Jurgen Moltmann

What is church? What constitutes a personal and ethical church? What should a church do in the world? This study argues that an ontology of the church must be built on an ontology of person which is theologically profound. Three contemporary theological giants of different backgrounds are chosen as dialogue partners-Dietrich Bonhoeffer from the Lutheran tradition, John D. Zizioulas from the Orthodox and Jürgen Moltmann from the Reformed. They represent three alternative ways of conceiving the relationship between person, church and ethics. This study affirms that the concept of person is crucial to our formulation of the doctrine of the church and Christian ethics. By being an authentic person, the church as a whole becomes an image of the triune God in the world. The church reflects the image of the triune God through her particular way of being as a person and as a community of persons. This implies that the church acts responsibly and publicly to the claim of God and the others in the world. The study ends with an affirmation of the relevance of the whole project in reference to the ecumenical dialogue and the ethical reorientation of Christianity in China.