The Ecclesial Notions of the Apocalypse in Recent Studies
Images of the church are found scattered throughout the Apocalypse. These have thus been the focus of recent studies in the ecclesial notions of the seer of Patmos. But as this article illustrates, these studies vary to some extent in their principal focus while the methods of approach have been remarkably 'selective' in their treatment of the many church images of the book. As a way of bringing together these disparate methods and focus, this article discusses seven key thematic emphases in the recent studies of the seer's ecclesial notions since the 1950s, which could perhaps serve as 'rallying points' for further development of a more comprehensive portrait of the church in the Apocalypse: the 'cross-event' as underpinning; the eschatologi cal people of God; a community of equality; corporate in nature; non-addi tive in character; a community seeking repentance; and a trans-historical view of reality.