The ‘notae ecclesiae’ of the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed. Source for the re-enchantment with the Christian Church project

Abstract

This article researches on several confessional and denominational readings of the notae ecclesiae (its description of the church as one, holy, catholic, and apostolic) and its bond with the “invisible” and “visible” church. The text invites the reader to a realistic reading of churches and, at the same time, enriched by the notae ecclesiae as one of its horizons of hope.

Keywords

Marks of the church - notae ecclesiae – unity – holiness – apostolity – catholicity.

Helmut Renders: Ordained pastor of the United Methodist Church in Germany. Professor of theology and history and executive secretary of the Center for Wesleyan Studies of the School of Theology, UMESP. Doctorate in Religious Sciences, Umesp. Doctor of Ministry, Wesley College, Washington, DC. Electronic address: helmut.renders@metodista.br