A Ministry Shaped by Mission

by Paul Avis

Publisher:

T&T Clark

, 2005

Overview

This volume falls into three symmetrical parts, each of which is subdivided. The first part draws on the missiological insights of Karl Barth and the Second Vatican Council concerning the missio Dei, and directly relates this theme to the tasks entrusted to the Church in “The Great Commission” of Matthew 28: the ministry of the Word, the celebration of the sacraments and the exercise of pastoral responsibility. It shows how Christians share in the ministry of Christ himself.

In the second part, the argument is carried forward by clarifying the much abused term “ministry” and offered is a more rigorous and somewhat controversial definition of ministry as work for the Church that is mandated by the Church and explicitly related to its core tasks. Ministers, therefore, represent both Christ and his Church.

The final part applies the insights of the earlier parts to ordained and lay ministry and offers a cogent answer to the question, What difference does ordination make? The book concludes with an agenda for the reform and development of ministry in the light of the arguments advanced.

Contents

Top Highlights

“However, he has chosen to work through the Church and bound himself to her by his promises, especially the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18–20), by the gift of his Spirit (Luke 24:46–48; John 20:22–23; Acts 2:1–4) and by the sacraments of salvation, baptism and the Eucharist, the dominically appointed means of grace.” (Page 3)

“Ministry is not primarily a set of functions, but a self-giving of one’s whole person, imperfect and in need of being made whole as it is.” (Page 4)

Product Details

• Title: A Ministry Shaped by Mission
• Author: Paul Avis
• Publisher: T & T Clark International
• Publication Date: 2005
• Pages: 152

About Paul Avis

Paul Avis is an honorary assistant priest in the Church of England, serving in the Diocese of Exeter, and a brother to Elizabeth Baxter. He was in parish ministry for 23 years before becoming General Secretary of the Council for Christian Unity. He is currently an honorary professor in the University of Edinburgh School of Divinity. Paul is Editor-in-Chief of the peer-reviewed journal Ecclesiology and Editor of the monograph series Anglican-Episcopal Theology and History (both published by Brill). He has also edited The Oxford Handbook of Ecclesiology. Paul’s recent publications include Jesus and the Church: The Foundation of the Church in the New Testament and Modern Theology (2021), Reconciling Theology (2022), Theology and the Enlightenment: A Critical Enquiry into Enlightenment Theology and its Reception (2022), and Revelation and the Word of God (2024). He is a long-serving consultant to Holy Rood House.

Sample Pages from A Ministry Shaped by Mission