Post-conciliar Catholic ecclesiology emphasizes the dignity of the baptized, shared ministry, mission, the Church’s duty to social justice, strong community, respect for local churches, ecumenism, and the Church as pilgrim. Each of these aspects reflects the dynamic relationality at work in the Church. This may explain why dozens of ecclesiological sources over the past decade have compared the Church to a network, as network science characterizes dynamic relationality in large, complex systems. Ecclesiologies have used the concept of network to emphasize the relational nature of the Church, the exchange of charisms within it, mutual assistance between local churches (General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, Instrumentum Laboris, 2024), the communicative basis of ecclesial relationships (Noceti, 2022), and partnership of distinct churches for mission (Lord, 2012).
Despite this, no ecclesiology begins with the premise of the Church as a network. An ecclesiology conversant with network science can account for ecclesiology’s dynamically relational foci. An ecclesiology that uses network science can perceive the Church’s relationality systematically, adding a new perspective to complement ground-level observation that can advance ecclesiological insights. A network analytical ecclesiology would be a practical ecclesiology capable of guiding ministerial action on these insights.
Network science and social network analysis offer several useful concepts for ecclesiology: edge magnitude and direction, degree distribution, degree centrality, betweenness centrality, diameter, multidimensional networks, and balanced and unbalanced triads. Theologically, ecclesial networks are more than mere social networks. An ecclesial network contains not only human nodes but a Divine node, with which all other nodes are related. Social network analysis simplifies human relationships into a model. Care is needed to ensure that network analysis in ecclesiology not oversimplify God, who is at the center of ecclesial networks. Furthermore, Christians’ relationships with Christ transform their human relationships in ways that social network analysis has not yet considered.
New knowledge is needed to understand ecclesial networks, specifically pertaining to the relational ontology of the Church, the Church’s collective epistemology within this relational framework, and action in light of the Church’s relational nature. With data on these dimensions, post-conciliar ecclesiology and social network analysis can be correlated to develop a network ecclesiology capable of supporting ecclesial network analysis.
Many groups, such as Venezuelan basic ecclesial communities (Luciani, interview by author, 2024), have developed a habitus for navigating ecclesial life as a network. Studying these groups can be instructive in the development of a network ecclesiology. One group in particular exercised their relational habitus in an ecclesial event exceptional for its dynamism in ecclesial relationships: the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, henceforth referred to as the Synod on Synodality. This group, Discerning Deacons, seeks to promote Catholic collective discernment about women’s diaconal ministry. Discerning Deacons is led by women who have experienced a call to ordained diaconal ministry. Research into their activity at the Synod on Synodality and the “synod-outside-the-Synod” was part of broader research project into the Church as network conducted in Rome from September to November 2024. The data gathered through interviews, observations and participation on the Church, including Discerning Deacons members, synod participants, and other ecclesial agents, informs the correlation of ecclesiology and network science.
The dynamic evolution of these women’s relational ontology will be represented graphically. They began as members of their local ecclesial network, developing new connections and ministering to outside groups, often in contexts where male ministry is relatively limited in its effectiveness, like Philippine women’s prison ships. They became connecting nodes between ecclesial communities and ministry recipients. After Discerning Deacons leadership met and their internal relationships gradually strengthened, they formalized their organization, increasing visibility and bringing in new members. They became part of a global network of networks of women diakonoi.
Their calls to the diaconate demonstrate a relational epistemology. They first sensed their call within their relationship with God, but soon this call echoed transmitted through parallel pathways as their communities asked for their ordination so they could better serve them. They communicated their calls to key decision-makers using similar relational epistemological pathways.
Their action reflected this epistemology. Importantly, they refrained from antagonizing synod members inclined to disagree with them. By the principle of balanced triads, this would alienate even their allies. Instead, by supporting synod members, they made it more difficult for those dismissive of women’s ordination to hold such views. They negotiated the theological imperative to prophetic action with network analytical realities to balance proclamation of the truth and implementation of the good.
Through the formation of a global ecclesial network, these women went from actors in their local church to actors at the center of the global Catholic network. Others can follow this model. Rather than ecclesial networks organized simply on the basis of common political boundaries, communities might form global-local ecclesial networks on the basis of shared contextual challenges, like linguistic diversity within congregations. These networks can then communicate the fruits of their discourse to the broader Church.
The leaders of Discerning Deacons worked their way towards the center of the network relationship-by-relationship to communicate their contribution to the Church’s collective epistemology. Therein lies a lesson for a synodal church that listens to the Holy Spirit by listening to the faithful. The structure of the ecclesial network must be such that those on the peripheries can be heard by the entire community, including those on the opposite periphery. The Church must negotiate theological ideals with social realities, like the steep drop-off in degree distribution. The best solution seems to be a polycentric church. With polycentricity at every level, the diameter of the network can be relatively low, even at normal degree distributions.
Even for faith communities who have developed a relational habitus, ecclesial network analysis can increase their awareness of those on the peripheries of the ecclesial network. Without this knowledge, churches can only guess as to whether they are listening to the whole People of God. Network ecclesiology better informs church agents so they can act in service of the dynamic relationality between friends of Christ.
An ecclesiology of the Church as network speaks directly to the Church’s dynamic relationality. Network ecclesiology can account for, advance, and suggest action on recent ecclesiological insights. Data gathered through observation of the Synod on Synodality and interviews of participants and others present is used to correlate network science and ecclesiology to develop a network ecclesiology. Special attention is given to the women who lead Discerning Deacons. These ministers connect congregations and the recipients of their ministry. Their call to the diaconate was heard not only through their personal relationship with God but from God through the communities they served, initiating them into a networked relational ecclesial epistemology. At the Synod, they habitually acted in accord with network principles to balance proclamation of truth and implementation of the good. Network analysis situated in network ecclesiology enhances ministerial and synodal habitus by revealing the People of God in its entirety.