The Church: A Guide for the Perplexed (Guides for the Perplexed)
<!—[if gte mso 9]><xml> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 </xml><![endif]—><!—[if gte mso 9]><xml> </xml><![endif]—><style>!— /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal{mso-style-parent:"";margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;mso-fareast-}@page Section1{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;mso-header-mso-footer-mso-paper-source:0;}div.Section1{page:Section1;}—></style><!—[if gte mso 10]><style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;mso-para-mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;mso-ansi-language:#0400;mso-fareast-language:#0400;mso-bidi-language:#0400;}</style><![endif]—><p>'Thisis an excellent and much-needed introduction to ecclesiology. The book is wide-ranging, engaging the mostimportant classical sources and some of the most interesting contemporarytheological voices. The authors considerancient controversies and new movements like the Emerging Church, always steeringa steady course between ecclesiological sloth and ecclesiological pride. This book is a model for how generous andcritical theological conversation should be conducted.' — William T. Cavanaugh,Senior Research Fellow, Center for World Catholicism and InterculturalTheology, and Professor of Catholic Studies, DePaul University, USA.</p><br  /> (William T. Cavanaugh, Center for World Catholicism and Intercultural Theology and DePaul University)<br  /><br  /><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Caturton%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5C6%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"  /><!—[if gte mso 9]><xml> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 </xml><![endif]—><!—[if gte mso 9]><xml> </xml><![endif]—><!—[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui></object><style>st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }</style><![endif]—><style><!— /* Font Definitions */ @font-face{panose-1:2 2 6 3 5 4 5 2 3 4;mso-font-charset:0;mso-generic-mso-font-format:other;mso-font-pitch:auto;mso-font-signature:0 0 0 0 0 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal{mso-style-parent:"";margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;mso-fareast-}@page Section1{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;mso-header-mso-footer-mso-paper-source:0;}div.Section1{page:Section1;}—></style><!—[if gte mso 10]><style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;mso-para-mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;mso-ansi-language:#0400;mso-fareast-language:#0400;mso-bidi-language:#0400;}</style><![endif]—><p><i>'The Church</i> is indeed a guide — for both theperplexed and the apoplexed. Jenson and Wilhite offer an important theologicaltonic to those for whom "church" connotes scandal or abuse rather than goodnews and reconciliation. Writing from their own free church traditions but forthe whole church, they provide a non-partisan overview of the doctrine of thechurch that is clear but never simplistic. They include several well-judgedexcurses on particularly important matters (e.g., the question of Jesus'founding the church, the development of the episcopacy, women's ordination, andthe emerging church). Their main burden, however, is to weave a positiveaccount of the nature, function, and origin of the church as the means by whichthe triune God asserts and advances the kingdom that arrived in Jesus. Thiswonderful collaboration provides further evidence that "wherever two or threeare gathered in Christ's name," Christ is indeed in their midst.' - Kevin J. Vanhoozer, BlanchardProfessor of Theology, Wheaton College Graduate School,USA.</p><br  /> (Kevin J. Vanhoozer)<br  /><br  />