Beyond the Visible Church

In Beyond the Visible Church, theologian Florian Klug investigates the Abel motif hermeneutically throughout Christian church history. By showing how the biblical motif of Abel was read and used by representative theologians like Augustine, Bonaventure, Martin Luther, Yves Congar, and others of each epoch, Klug builds the story of the Churchs self-conception and shows how it has evolved over time. By tracing this theological and ecclesiological history and how the motif formed theologians and the Church over time, Klug shows readers a new way to conceive and understand Gods universal will for salvation. By deconstructing and reconstructing the historical occurrences of these ideas, Klug demonstrates that the Churchs self-conception is not yet complete. This unique and ground-breaking study opens new ways forward for Catholic ecclesiologyhope for todays universal Church.