About this item
Highlights
- At the heart of the ecumenical discussions over the past century lies the issue of what constitutes the apostolicity of the church.
- About the Author: John G. Flett (PhD, Princeton Theological Seminary) lectures in intercultural theology and mission studies at Pilgrim Theological College, part of the University of Divinity in Melbourne, Australia.
- 392 Pages
- Religion + Beliefs, Christian Theology
- Series Name: Missiological Engagements
Description
About the Book
At the heart of the ecumenical discussions over the past century lies the issue of what constitutes the apostolicity of the church. In an attempt to forge structural agreements, these discussions have ignored the diversity of world Christianity. In this groundbreaking study, John Flett presents a bold account of an apostolicity that embraces plurality.
Book Synopsis
At the heart of the ecumenical discussions over the past century lies the issue of what constitutes the apostolicity of the church. In an attempt to forge structural agreements, these discussions have ignored the diversity of world Christianity. In this groundbreaking study, John Flett presents a bold account of an apostolicity that embraces plurality.
Review Quotes
"Ecumenical discussions assume that the apostolic faith is transmitted through ecclesial practices and institutional structure. John Flett shows how this assumption leads, quite logically, to colonization as a mode of Christian mission. Alternatively, he argues that the experience of world Christianity should be taken as a point of departure. Diverse expressions of Christianity already share the apostolic faith; they do not need to be linked to some Western tradition to justify their apostolic continuity. This book's implications for ecclesiology and mission are huge."
"In many respects, this work by John Flett is an outstanding contribution to international ecumenism and to the discussion on current issues in mission theology. The topic of apostolicity touches on the question of continuity, and it also touches on the question of crossing boundaries in the service of mission. As Swedish bishop and mission studies scholar Bengt Sundkler was wont to say, 'Transplantation means mutation.' John Flett outlines the different positions of various denominational traditions (Protestant, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, etc.) and he relates perspectives from the southern hemisphere to those from the northern hemisphere. In so doing, the book builds bridges and contributes toward mutual understanding. Flett's approach is as integrative as it is innovative and will certainly stimulate the ongoing discussion. This is a remarkable effort that deserves the highest praise."
"John Flett's Apostolicity: The Ecumenical Question in World Christian Perspective gives voice to the challenge of that course for me: how Western Christianity still struggles with the legitimacy of non-Western churches. . . . By allowing apostolicity to be reconceived as a process to be undergone rather than a historical-cultural substance to be replicated, Flett convincingly argues for a postcolonial way forward for ecclesiology."
"The nature of apostolicity has been a vexing question in ecumenical discourse with significant consequences for our understanding of the church and its unity. In this volume John Flett challenges many of the common assumptions of this conversation in order to construct a more fully christological notion of apostolicity that resists colonizing conceptions of mission and embraces the diversity and plurality of Christian witness in the world without sacrificing the unity of the church. This is a significant contribution to ecumenical and missiological literature that is sure to provoke much conversation."
About the Author
John G. Flett (PhD, Princeton Theological Seminary) lectures in intercultural theology and mission studies at Pilgrim Theological College, part of the University of Divinity in Melbourne, Australia. He is the author of The Witness of God: The Trinity, Missio Dei, Karl Barth and the Nature of Christian Community and is ordained in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
