Types of Ecclesiology - by David Emerton

About the Book

This introduction to ecclesiology articulates different theological approaches, showing why it is important to ask what the church is before asking what the church does.

Book Synopsis

This book introduces the study of the doctrine of the church. David Emerton highlights the breadth of contemporary ecclesiological thought by articulating five approaches to ecclesiology. He argues that we must ask what the church is before asking what the church does.

Professors will find a valuable orienting text, students will grasp the stakes of contemporary debates, and scholars surveying ecumenical ecclesiology will discover an illuminating structural framework. Doing the work of the church requires discerning its essence, and this timely volume insightfully examines what is at the heart of the body of Christ.

From the Back Cover

"A must for anyone interested in a theology of the church"

This introduction to ecclesiology articulates five different theological approaches and explains why it is important to ask what the church is before asking what the church does.

"A must for anyone interested in a theology of the church. With careful and creative analysis, Emerton is a sure guide through the complexities of contemporary ecclesiology. This book is astute, thoughtful, careful, and insightful. I cannot recommend it strongly enough."
--Tom Greggs, University of Aberdeen; Center of Theological Inquiry, Princeton

"Types of Ecclesiology illuminates contemporary ecclesiological thought by articulating five distinct approaches. Avoiding denominational biases, Emerton elucidates the logic and concerns driving each type, arguing that ecclesiology must first account for the church's unique nature before evaluating its activities. This timely volume offers an invaluable framework for engaging in contemporary debates, one that is essential for advancing the ecumenical movement and fostering the unity of the church. Highly recommended for anyone interested in understanding the church by its nature."
--Rev. Stephanie Dietrich, moderator of the WCC Faith and Order Commission; VID Specialized University, Oslo, Norway

"In this novel study of ecclesiology, Emerton surveys the ecclesiological landscape--but not according to Pauline images, denominational difference, or polity. Instead, he draws a map of contemporary approaches to ecclesiology in terms of their relative emphases on divine and human action. Emerton gives each theologian he discusses a fair hearing, while not shying away from critical assessment. He also has an argument of his own to make, wisely turning to the third article of the Nicene creed to account for the way in which the presence and action of God relativizes, without minimizing, the all-too-human agency of God's people."
--Matt Jenson, Torrey Honors College, Biola University

About the Author

David Emerton (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is director of St. Mellitus College, East Midlands, United Kingdom. He previously served as principal of the School of Discipleship in the Diocese of Southwell and Nottingham and as a teaching fellow in systematic and historical theology at the University of Aberdeen. He is the author of God's Church-Community: The Ecclesiology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.