Abstract
Still often viewed as an action belonging solely to missionary societies, Catholic understanding of evangelization is lacking. Refusal to evangelize is refusal to act as a symbolic reality of Christ in the world, i.e. the Mystical body of Christ - the Church. This paper will demonstrate how evangelization is the primary way in which the Holy Spirit actualizes the Church as symbolic reality of the Mystical body of Christ in the world. When Catholics evangelize, their actions of witness and proclamation constitute participation in a process Louise-Marie Chauvet terms symbolic exchange whereby subjects kenotically give of themselves in order to symbolically manifest Christ. Deeper commitment to evangelization is crucial for the Church as it progresses into the third millennium
Recommended Citation
Drapalik, Steven. 2015. On the Symbolic Nature of Evangelization. Obsculta 8, (1) : 191-207. https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/obsculta/vol8/iss1/19.