Church as One: A Doctrinal Analysis of Augustine's Notion of Charity as a Fundamental Element of the Church’s Unity

In today’s world, where technological advancements and cultural shifts are constant, the Church frequently faces criticism for being traditional and conservative. There was even a pressing demand from the progressive individuals expressing their desire for the Church to evolve and adapt her doctrines and teachings to better resonate with the contemporary experiences of her followers. While it is true that the Church is called to proclaim God's message in the context of the people, this does not mean a distortion of the message to make it more appealing and palatable to people. The Church has the mission to be faithful to the revealed datum, which is the source of authentic catholic doctrines and dogmas. As such, it is essential to put into context what it means to be ‘traditional’ and/or ‘conservative’ within the context of the Church’s constitution. Strikingly, the evolution and development of doctrines and dogmas in the Catholic Church have specific parameters that are faithful to Divine Revelation. Employing a critical analysis approach, this paper aims to discuss the Thomistic understanding of evolution and development as applied in the evolution and development of doctrines and dogmas in the Catholic Church. To demonstrate the application of the Thomistic understanding of evolution and development, this paper illustrates the homogeneous evolution and development of St. Augustine's notion of charity as a fundamental element of the Church's unity. The overall objective of this paper is to guide the faithful in the Church to critically evaluate ideas that can deviate from the Church's authentic teachings.