An updated examination of ecclesiology from a Baptist perspective

In this useful book, professor and former pastor John Hammett helps church leaders think through foundational questions about the nature of the church. Blending biblical teaching and practical ministry experience, Hammett presents a comprehensive ecclesiology from a historic Baptist perspective, examining crucial contemporary issues such as church discipline, the role of elders, and church ministry in a post-Christian culture.

This second edition contains updates throughout, including:

Substantive changes to chapters on the nature of the church, Baptist church polity, and deacons

An expanded chapter on baptism and the Lord's Supper

A thoroughly revised chapter on church models like multisite churches and missional churches

A brand-new chapter on meaningful church membership

The Book of Revelation describes a church from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation glorifying the Lamb that was slain. As the church expands in the Majority World and Christianity becomes an increasingly global faith, this vision is an increasingly visible reality. The insights found in The Church from Every Tribe and Tongue are not commonplace. Written by nine theologians and biblical scholars from Africa, Asia, Latin America and North America, each provide fresh perspectives surveying the most pressing ecclesiological issues in their various regions. The end result is a prescient analysis and constructive proposal detailing how the worldwide church can bear witness in a diverse and changing world.

The Church of God in Jesus Christ consists of three parts: the first provides a concise historical survey of ecclesiology elucidating the most salient teachings and insights from the Old and New Testaments, the writings of the fathers, the medievals, moderns, up to the present day. It integrates a standard historical overview with a recovery of oft ignored or forgotten insights from the tradition (e.g., beginnings of the Church in prehistoric times and in Israel, Irenaeus's Trinitarian ecclesiology and St. Bernard's nuptial vison of the Church.

The second part is a systematic ecclesiology ordered around the four marks of the Church, then proceeding to treat the participation of all the faithful in the threefold office of Christ, the ongoing renewal and reform of the Church by the Holy Spirit working through her members, and finishing with a hitherto neglected study of the eschatological consummation of the Church in heavenly glory.

The third part consists of five essays on particular themes of special importance in ecclesiology. Of the five, most notable is the chapter on the relationship between the Church's infallibility and Mary.

Fr. Roch Kereszty intends to integrate theological insights with nourishing the reader's spiritual life by emphasizing the essentially Trinitarian, nuptial and Marian dimensions of the Church.

The book fills a genuine need in that it offers a rich synthesis of the ecclesiological renewal in an accessible and clear language. It will enrich not only students of theology but all those college educated adults who are interested to delve beyond the clichés of the media into the contemplation of the manifold mystery of the Church.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.