Back Streitende, leidende und triumphierende Kirche German Videbla eklezio Esperanto Iglesia purgante Spanish Églises militante, pénitente et triomphante French Ecclesia militans Hungarian Ecclesia militante e ecclesia triumphante Interlingua Gereja Berjuang, Menderita, dan Berjaya Malay Igreja Militante, Padecente e Triunfante Portuguese Церкви Войовнича, Покаяна та Торжествуюча Ukrainian

Churches Militant, Penitent, and Triumphant

This article is about traditional divisions of the Christian Church. For the Catholic organization, see Church Militant (website). For the British women's campaign, see League of the Church Militant.
"Ecclesia militans" redirects here. For the Russian icon, see Blessed Be the Host of the King of Heaven.
The Church Militant and the Church Triumphant, fresco by Andrea da Firenze in Santa Maria Novella, c. 1365

In some strains of Christian theology, the Christian Church may be divided into:

  • the Church Militant (Latin: Ecclesia militans), also called the Church Pilgrim, which consists of Christians on Earth who struggle as soldiers of Christ against sin, the devil, and "the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places";[1]
  • the Church Penitent (Latin: Ecclesia poenitens), also called the Church Suffering (Latin: Ecclesia dolens) or the Church Expectant (Latin: Ecclesia expectans), which in the theology of certain churches, especially that of the Catholic Church, consists of those Christians currently in Purgatory; and
  • the Church Triumphant (Latin: Ecclesia triumphans), which consists of those who have the beatific vision and are in Heaven.

Within Catholic ecclesiology these divisions are known as the "three states of the Church." The actual language used in the Catechism of the Catholic Church states that "The three states of the Church… at the present time some of his disciples are pilgrims on earth. Others have died and are being purified, while still others are in glory, contemplating 'in full light, God himself triune and one, exactly as he is'."[2]

In Protestant theology, which rejects the doctrine of Purgatory,[3] the Churches Militant and Triumphant are together known as the two states of the Church. These divisions are often discussed in the context of the doctrine of the communion of saints; although Christians may be physically separated from each other by the barrier of death, they nonetheless remain united to each other in one Church, and support each other in prayer.

  1. ^ Ephesians 6:12
  2. ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church (2nd ed.). Libreria Editrice Vaticana. 2019. Paragraph 954.
  3. ^ Chia, R. and Katongole, E. (2008) "Eschatology", Global Dictionary of Theology: A Resource for the Worldwide Church. Edited by W.A. Dyrness and V.-M. Kärkkäinen. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press. "Protestant theologians, following Luther, reject the doctrine of purgatory."

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