Toward a Pentecostal Understanding of Communio Sanctorum: Reflections on Peter Kuzmič & Miroslav Volf ’s “Theology of the Church as a Fellowship of Persons” in the Context of the Pentecostal-Roman Catholic Dialogue

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the Pentecostal understanding of the communion of saints by critically engaging with the ecclesiological vision of two world-class Pentecostal theologians from post-communist countries: Peter Kuzmič and Miroslav Volf. Th e paper has three sections: in the first one, a brief historical and theological overview of the doctrine of communio sanctorum is presented, to both set the stage for the core of the paper, and to point out the usefulness of reflecting on this particular ecclesiological topic. The second section offers an outline of “Perspectives on Koinonia” (the final report from the Third Quinquennium of the Pentecostal-Roman Catholic Dialogue), focusing on the first round of talks (Riano, Italy, 1985), which were on the topic of communio sanctorum. In the third section, the author presents and engages with Kuzmič & Volf ’s paper, “Theology of the Church as a Fellowship of Persons” which represents one of the earliest attempts to articulate a Pentecostal ecclesiology based on the notion of communio sanctorum. In the end, the author will attempt to show how this ecclesiological vision helps the shaping of a Pentecostal theology of public life.