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Communication Theology (Summary)
Communication theology will consider the whole of theology in the perspective of
communication. Therefore, dimensions of communication will be analyzed and reflected in all
theological disciplines. The key term of communication theology is the term “selfcommunication of God”. From there, communication theology looks at the self-communication
of God in the Trinity, revelation, incarnation, and in the teaching on the Church (ecclesiology).
In this perspective, the whole of salvation and redemption story of God with human beings can
be seen as communication story of God within human world.
The Trinity
The term “self-communication” is developed by several theologians like Friedrich David
Schleiermacher, Hermann Schell, and Romano Guardini. However, Karl Rahner indicates with
this term that God communicates himself to human being as he is. In the divine selfcommunication, the giver who himself communicates is likewise the communicated gift.
According to the Christian faith, the one God is not a static, lonely monad. Rather, he is in
himself life, love, communio, and communication. God is a communion in which the three
divine persons share with each other the one divine life. This happens in a mutual selfcommunication process. Each one of the divine persons communicates himself to other in an
ongoing “exchange” which can be considered as “eternal rhythmic of love” (Greshake).
The Trinitarian life is communio through self-communication and self-communication in
communio. This lays down the ontological foundation for human life and the world. The whole
manifestation of the creation is public communication of the Triune God. Human beings, created
in God’s image and likeness, are able to communicate in order to live with God and among
themselves.
Divine Communication in the Revelation
From the Trinitarian life, God communicates himself; he creates human beings, addreses himself
to them, and open them the secrets of his personal life.
In the Old (First) Testament God shows himself to Israel. He speaks and Israel listens to him and
answers him. The facts and content of this communication is called revelation. God
communicates his word to Israel in form of dialogues, of announcements, explanations, through
this he manifests a plan for His Chosen People. Throughout the history of Israel the
communicated Word of God directs and inspires this people.
We can draw on some fundamental moments of communication in the Old Testament:
Communication story with Abraham: God speaks to a concrete person Abram within the story of
humanity. He reveals himself to Abraham and communicates his plan for humans. The election
of Abraham and the promise for the land are two constitutive elements of the existence of Israel.
Communication story with Moses: In this story, God communicates himself to Moses and calls
him into his service from the burning bush (Ex 3:2). His intention is first to deliver Israel from
the slavery of Egypt. The fundamental event in the communication of God with Israel is the
event on Sinai. Here, God communicates his Words (ten words: Decalogue) to Israel. Based on
these Words, Israel comes into a new existence. From this time onward, it is called to live in
relationship with God. The words of God guarantees and safeguards the new community. This is
the third constitutive element of Israel’s existence.
God’s communication through the prophets: even in the time of the Babylonian exile, the word
of God still accompanies His people. He uses the prophets to speak his word in order to comfort
his people and to enlighten it in the new situation. Here, the communicated word create and
interpret Israel history in the exile.
Other communication dimension: Through life experiences and in living together with other
nations, Israel gains its sapiential knowledge and communicates this to the next generation.
There are various forms of communication in wisdom: proverbs, discourses, riddles, poetries,
tales, etc. In Israel, the treasure of human experience and wisdom are adopted, but interpreted,
and transmitted in the light of Israel’s faith in Yahweh.
Dimensions of God’s self-communication in the Incarnation
The summit of God’s self-communication is the Incarnation. In this communication happening,
God becomes human person. God, now, seeks for a “common ground” to communicate himself
to human beings: “The Word has become flesh” (Jn 1: 14). In Jesus Christ, the Son of God has
become man.
Jesus’ communication encompasses the whole life of human beings. It begins with his birth,
continues through all stations of his life, until his death and resurrection.
However, there are some fundamental moments of God’s self-communication in the life of Jesus:
The Baptism: it can be seen as public communication of the Trinitarian God in the person Jesus
Christ: He is the communicator of God’s message and the communication.
The inauguration of the Kingdom of God: Jesus inaugurates the Kingdom of God through various
forms of communication like teaching, healing deeds, through his own person. “The means used
by Jesus for His communication cover the whole range of non-verbal and verbal communications
of his time and culture” (Eilers).
The Last Supper: It is the culmination of God’s communication which was introduced by the
baptism of Jesus, and was realized in his mission. In this intimate scene, God, in and through
Jesus Christ, gives himself and reveals himself as a living God. His being is a being for the other.
In Jesus’ crucifixion, God speaks his “Yes” as an answer to a “No” of human beings who refuse
God’s invitation to the share in communial and communicative life with God. The Cross is a
ultimate communicative gesture of God’s love to human beings.
Jesus Christ is the master of communication (CeP, No. 11). In the Incarnation God does not aim
to instruct human beings that they should “know” God. Moreover, God communicate himself as
a loving God, and at the same time, he shows who human beings are: God’s children, created in
God’s image and likeness, and called to live in communion with him. Jesus Christ, therefore, is
“the absolute symbol of God” (Rahner) that the Father communicates to human beings.
The Holy Spirit as Agent of Divine Communication
In the story of God’s self-communication the Holy Spirit is at work as dynamic communication
power and movement.
He takes part in the creation. He is active throughout the salvific history of God with his Chosen
People. He makes people able to speak the word of God and at the same time to understand the
word of God.
He also crucially acts in the Incarnation as Person-love (Pope John Paul II.). He brings about the
union of the divine nature and human nature, of the divinity and the humanity.
Through the Paschal mystery and resurrection of Jesus, the Holy Spirit is given to human beings
as a Person-gift from the Father and the Son.
At Pentecost, the “Gospel of communication” (Martini), the Holy Spirit does “re-establish the
possibility of simple and authentic communicating in the name of Jesus” (Martini). He brings the
Church into being.
The Church as Image of the Trinity – a New Communicative Reality
What God has done for Israel and in the history of Israel, that can be seen as preparation of the
Church, gathered in the name of Jesus Christ.
Jesus, when inaugurating the Kingdom of God, gathers several disciples. He gives them a share
in his personal life, through this a communial life with the father. However, Jesus does not only
incorporate the disciples into the life with the Trinitarian God, moreover, he demands them to
share this life to other people. The Church should communicate God’s truth and grace to all
people (LG 8). She is in this mission “sign and instrument” of God’s self-communication (LG 1).
The document “Ad Gentes” states that the Church is “a universal sacrament of salvation” and
that she is “missionary by her very nature” (AG, nos. 2-4). Because of this, the Church is by her
very essence communication. Like Jesus, her “master of communication”, the Church has to live
in communicative relationship with Jesus and with the Father, in the Holy Spirit. She also has to
communicate the Trinitarian reality to human beings. In this perspective, “the Church is
communication” (Dulles).
Living in communion with the Trinune God and communicating this God to others, the Church
realizes herself as a “new communicative culture” (Werbick). The new communicative reality is
expressed through communion/koinonia: communion with God and solidarity/communial life
among Church’s members and other people. Living this, the Church is the continuation of God’s
self-communication in every time and place.
The Church is also considered as a community which remembers, proclaims, interprets, and
celebrates the communicating Word of God. At a same time, she is a community which
communicates God’s message to the world. Here, the kerygmatic dimension of Church’s
communication comes to light. The Church performs her mission in the three basic ways of
communicating: Martyria, Leiturgia, and Diakonia. These aspects should permeate all the levels
and structures of the Church. In this way, the Church is more a communicative reality than
institution.
Reflecting dimensions of God’s communication in the Trinity, in the revelation, Incarnation, and
by the nature of the Church, one can gain the frame for communication theology. Such a
theology is the basis for the Church as communication. For this reason, communication theology
primarily concerns itself with the essence of the Church as communication. It less focuses on the
use of communication instruments. As consequence of God’s self-communication, which has
shown in the whole salvation and redemption story of God with human beings, the whole of
theology must be considered under the perspective of communication. All fundamental aspects
of communication, driven from the divine self-communication, must permeate all theological
disciplines. From there, Christian communicator may shape the inner disposition for
communication and deals with the communicative reality of human beings, with its potentials,
and with the respective situation.