Jesus the Way and Synodality

When I was asked to write about synodality for The Thomist, an academic journal, I tried to say no. I had not been avidly following developments, but I had noticed a lot of ersatz sociology, generally of poor quality, as well as a marked absence of the name of Jesus Christ.

The editor prevailed, however, and, for my sins, I decided to take a fresh look at the topic. I took my starting point from the etymology of synod, as a way (hodos) that comes together (syn). As I explored the language of “way” in the Scriptures, I discovered some important guideposts for an understanding of synodality that rises to a truly Christian (as opposed to merely sociological) level. In this essay, I will summarize those guideposts.

The most obvious referent for the word “way” is Christ Himself, who is “the Way and the Truth and the Life” (Jn 14:6). But the term “way” is first found in the Hebrew Scriptures, which speak of God’s way of righteousness, given to Israel in His law. “For…