Exploring Ecclesiology: An Evangelical and Ecumenical Introduction Paperback – March 1, 2009

The authors do an excellent job of enunciating ecclesiology and suggesting good questions and issues around application. At times, it seems like they narrow the application possibilities too much, focusing on specific issues that were current when they wrote the book and missing opportunities to invite applications on a broader basis. That said, I love how the authors enunciate good theology and challenge the reader to apply it because good theology is relationally applied theology. I highly recommend it! I use it as the core textbook in a seminary course I teach. I wish all theologians worked as hard as they do to make theology relationally practical.

This book is great...but I already knew if would be because it was written by my professor. I recommend this book to all and any who are in a church or are followers of Jesus but have a hard time with understanding church and why we must be a part of one and what that should look like.

An excellent look at the doctrine of the church from an evangelical perspective. The text serves as a challenge to evangelical theology, in which ecclesiology is often an afterthought. I found the text to be provocative and challenging, while at the same time an excellent read. I highly recommend it.

it is excellent, It gives a great view from the trinitarian view of what being a church means. I would suggest it for all those who want Jesus!

Thanks

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A brilliant look into the theological foundation of the Church, 'Exploring Ecclesiology' strikes at the heart of today's need for the church. Because the church does not simply bear witness to its community - it ultimately bears witness to its God - the need of today is a profound understanding of what it means to be Church. Too often theology and praxis are viewed has polar opposites, but if the Church is to be the `proclaimer and hearer of the divine Word' it must attend to its Being so to understand its purpose. Karl Barth once wrote that the critical task of theology is to refer the message of the Church back to its source, `the Church could not ever be exempt from seeking after the Word and asking for the Holy Spirit which alone leads it to all truth.' (Theology and Church, 295).A strong need exists today to better understand what it means to be the Church. Whilst Metzger and Harper claim their book simply `explores' ecclesiology, the utter reality is that this book is a brilliant engagement with the core of what the Church is. The book disbands the ever-present dichotomy of practical and academic through its thorough engagement and fleshing out of such issues as leadership, community, individualism, cultural influences, missional life of the Church and the like.'Exploring Ecclesiology' is an important read for today's theology as it not only illuminates the drama of the Bible but calls for the community of Christ to realize how it is to participate in Christ through the Spirit. Such participation enters the world's stage for humanity's performance in its salvation, reconciliation, and redemption through the building of the Kingdom of God here and now. As Metzger and Harper write, `we must concern ourselves with bearing authentic witness to the biblical drama centered in Christ.' (232). A Christocentric understanding of the Church is essential. As Lesslie Newbigin writes, `It is not sufficient for the Church to point to itself and say, "Here is the Body of the Messiah." It must point beyond itself to Him who is sole Judge and Saviour, both of the Church and of the world. And yet the Church is not merely the witness to Christ; it is also the Body of Christ. It is not merely the reporter of divine acts of redemption; it is also itself the bearer of God's redeeming grace, itself part of the story of redemption which is the burden of its message.' (The Household of God, 103.) From such witness the Church shall come to embody the hope poured our from the Triune God, thereby `removing all divisions in the body,' providing the strength and sustenance needed not only to serve the church and society, but more importantly realizing that the Church is `still Christ's bride and, as such will be more beautiful than we could ever imagine then and there.' (Exploring Ecclesiology, 284).This is a must read for the Bride as well as all those who have ever wondered why Jesus is so enticing.

Although there are some good nuggets in this book, for the most part, it serves as a paradigm for why secular society considers Christians as unsophisticated and unintelligent. The overwhelming majority of the assertions made by the authors of this book beg the question--they throw out their statements, and instead of supporting or convincing the reader that their statements are true (or at least worth considering), the authors instead provide commentary through a discussion related to the assertions just made.Two poignant examples:Ch 4: The authors claim that the current creation will not be restored, but will be redeemed. This is supported by 3 biblical precedents: 1.) Jesus did not succumb to temptation in the desert; 2.) Jesus had a physical body; 3.) Jesus rose again in the flesh. The author provide no further justification for their assertions and assume that these three statements are self-explanatory in proving that the new heaven & new earth are not new creations, but redeemed versions of the present iterationCh 13: The authors assert that Jesus transforms culture. How? Why? Their support for this claim goes like this--"The Sermon on the Mount certainly portrays Christ’s community as an anticipation of the final kingdom of God, and Christ himself as the one who inaugurates and eventually consummates that kingdom. ... [and] Jesus is the ultimate prophet, priest, and king— summing up, perfecting, and transforming the whole of the Old Testament story so that it becomes part of his own" (p. 222). That's all we get: Jesus transforms culture.... because, well, Jesus transforms culture, didn't you know?It is clear that there were two authors writing this book. One of them is/was brilliant, and you can appreciate his thorough, considered approach to the material. Unfortunately, these contributions are a very small subset of the overall work, which feels far too much like a Grade 12 student's attempt at writing a persuasive essay.Save your money; save your time; avoid the embarrassment and look to another book that treats ecclesiology with a bit more rigour.