“Being Bishoped by” God: The Theology of the Episcopacy According to St. Ignatius of Antioch

The epistles of Ignatius of Antioch rightfully maintain a central place in the theology of the nascent Church. His letters are counted among the works of the apostolic fathers and are unique in many respects. This article will focus primarily upon one of those in particular. Throughout the course of his exhortations and admonitions to the various churches to which he writes, Ignatius elucidates a remarkably advanced theology of the episcopacy for his era. This article, therefore, will synthesize these teachings contained in the letters in order to approach the core of Ignatius’s thought: that the human bishops of the particular churches are “being bishoped by” (ἐπισκοπημένῳ) God the Father himself; that obedience to the bishop is true imitation of Christ, who obeyed the Father; and that the obedience of the faithful is a call from the Spirit and brings incarnational union (ἕνωσις). The foregoing theological points naturally led Ignatius to suggest what may be considered “canonical norms” for sacramental celebrations and moral implications for Christian living in harmony with the bishop. Finally, this article will consider what relevance the letters of Ignatius have for ecclesial life today.