This article investigates how ecclesiastical canons from the third to seventh centuries articulate the concept of church membership. Drawing on 11 representative canons from major church councils and other Patristic sources, the study argues that the canonists consistently equated membership with participation in sacramental and liturgical life, rather than with nominal affiliation or sociological status. Extended absence from the Eucharist was often interpreted as voluntary separation from the church, meriting disciplinary measures aimed at restoration. The analysis also explores how the canons distinguish between the catholic church and schismatic or heretical assemblies, and how they regulate the reception of individuals from such groups—sometimes permitting integration without rebaptism under the principle of oikonomia. In conclusion, the article proposes that these late antique views offer valuable insights for contemporary ecclesiastical discourse. Specifically, they challenge modern assumptions about passive membership and highlight the need for a lived, sacramentally grounded ecclesial identity, particularly in the context of the Orthodox Church.
Harri Huovinen (Wed,) studied this question.