A Call to Christian Formation - by John C Clark & Marcus Peter Johnson (Paperback)

About the Book

Shows that theology is integrally related to formation in Jesus Christ and to our conception and perception of reality.

Book Synopsis

Southwestern Journal of Theology 2021 Book Award (Honorable Mention, Applied Theology/Ethics)

This book shows that theology is both integrally related to formation in Jesus Christ and shapes our understanding of the world. Christian formation is incomplete and impossible without theological formation, because Christ transforms our hearts and minds, attuning them to the reality of God. As the authors explore the deep connections between theology and the life of the Christian, they emphasize Christian formation as a defining feature of the church, arguing that theology must be integrally connected to the church's traditions and practices.

From the Back Cover

How Christ Attunes Our Hearts and Minds to the Reality of God

This book demonstrates that theology is integrally related to formation in Jesus Christ and shapes our understanding of the world.

"This presentation of the foundational role of orthodox, biblical theology in daily life and work will be of great encouragement to students and pastors, as well as lay persons who are serious about building their lives on the unshakeable foundation laid down by the Word of God in Jesus Christ. He is honored here as the Savior and Lord of the mind as well as the bodily life and destiny of all who seek him. The apostle Paul urged that every thought be taken captive to obey Christ and him alone. Clark and Johnson have sought to do just that."
--Fleming Rutledge, author of The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ

"This wonderful book offers a clarion call to recover the significance of theology once again in an age when most Christians pay lip service to God without knowing much about him. I pray that it will captivate the souls of many readers, yielding a renaissance of interest in pursuing God among everyday people in the context of the church."
--Douglas A. Sweeney, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University

"From start to finish, this book invites us to share in the mind of Christ. It's when the whole of us is transformed by the whole of him that we learn to do our theology well. Grounded in Scripture and conversant with ecumenical thought, this book powerfully reminds us that the Christ-reality is the only place where true communion is found."
--Hans Boersma, Nashotah House Theological Seminary

"Clark and Johnson issue an invitation to theology for those who may not realize the adventure they're missing. Their book offers an introduction to the dazzling mystery of knowing God in Christ. It has something to teach about why the doctrine of the Trinity matters, why there is no Christian life without the church, how liturgies form us, and what it means to hope for the kingdom of God."
--Phillip Cary, Eastern University

About the Author

John C. Clark (PhD, St. Michael's College, University of Toronto) is professor of theology at Moody Bible Institute and a deacon at Church of the Resurrection, Wheaton, Illinois.

Marcus Peter Johnson (PhD, St. Michael's College, University of Toronto) is professor of theology at Moody Bible Institute and associate rector at St. Mark's Church, Geneva, Illinois.

Clark and Johnson are also coauthors of The Incarnation of God: The Mystery of the Gospel as the Foundation of Evangelical Theology.