Kirken som organisme og organisasjon. Ekklesiologiske og organisasjonsteoretiske perspektiver på kirken som felleskap. Kap. 2

Abstract

Due to the complexity of its functions, the church can be understood in various disciplines which offer different perspectives, concepts and metaphors. This chapter explores how theology and organizational sociology conceptualize the church as a collective. We aim at establishing a dialogue on the collective notion of the church as a religious organization using the concepts organism and organization as applied in the theological discipline of ecclesiology and utilizing insights from organization theory. Both hold that the church is a gathering of people coming together for religious purposes. Starting with a shared understanding of the collective, we present relevant insights from both domains. We analyze selected contributions in each tradition that enable an ongoing dialogue between them. The chapter argues that cross-disciplinary perspectives are beneficial to developing church organization.