"One." It strikes me that we could understand the word "one" to refer to the individual person who feels at one in spirit with God. I hasten to say that feeling one in spirit with God does not necessarily mean that one is God. For example, we could say of the historical Jesus that he was one in spirit with God. But we would not necessarily jump to the conclusion articulated in the Nicene Creed that he was/is God. In theory, I could be one in spirit with God. But I would continue to have only my human nature; I would not have a divine nature. So too with the historical Jesus.
"One, holy." But if I were one in spirit with God, then I would be understood to be holy, at least to a certain extent.
"One, holy, catholic." But if I am holy, it is the whole of me that is holy. Holiness is holistic. My holiness is through-the-whole me, not just through one part of me. Through the whole person.
"One, holy, catholic, apostolic." The Greek etymology for the word "apostle" means one sent forth. So if I am one in spirit with God and this oneness in spirit is through my whole person, then my whole person is sent forth into the world. By virtue of being one in spirit with God, I am sent into the world as an apostle of God.
"One, holy, catholic, apostolic church." The etymology of the Greek term "ecclesia" (church) refers to being called forth, presumably to being called forth to be apostles of God, as distinct from those people who are not called forth to be apostles of God. Admittedly, being called forth (church) sounds redundant after being sent forth (apostolic).
But this entire string of descriptors may be somewhat overlapping and somewhat redundant. To wit, to be one in spirit with God ("one"), means to be holy ("holy"), means to be holy through the whole person ("catholic"), means to be sent forth into the world ("apostolic"), means to be called forth ("church"). But a definition of an institutional church does not emerge from this string of descriptors. Instead, what emerges is the sense that each individual holy person is called forth ("church"). In short, each holy person is a church unto himself or herself.
I toss out these suggestions regarding the string of descriptors in the Nicene Creed for your consideration. I've not seen anybody else suggest the understanding of those descriptors that I have suggested. And I may be way off base on some of the points.
In any event, Fox's critique of Ratzinger/Benedict prompts us to reflect on the meaning of the term "church" as well as on the meaning of the term "catholic." Fox prompts us to imagine what a truly catholic Christianity might be like (pages 201-207). I myself would prefer to take the "christ" (messiah) out of so-called Christianity and think instead of the people of God as called forth to be one in spirit with God.
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