An Introduction to Ecclesiology: Historical, Global, and Interreligious Perspectives, rev. ed.

by Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen

Publisher:

IVP Academic

, 2021

Overview

What is the church? Why are there so many different expressions of church throughout time and space, and what ties them all together?

Ecclesiology—the doctrine of the church—has risen to the center of theological interest in recent decades. In this text, theologian Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen provides a wide-ranging survey of the rich field of ecclesiology in the midst of rapid developments and new horizons. Drawing on Kärkkäinen’s international experience and comprehensive research on the church, this revised and expanded edition is thoroughly updated to incorporate recent literature and trends. This unique primer not only orients readers to biblical, historical, and contemporary ecclesiologies but also highlights contextual and global perspectives and includes an entirely new section on interfaith comparative theology. An Introduction to Ecclesiology surveys

• major theological traditions, including Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Reformed, and Pentecostal
• ecclesiological insights from Latin American, Africa, and Asia
• distinct perspectives from women, African Americans, and recent trends in the United States
• key elements of the church such as mission, governance, worship, and sacraments
• interreligious comparison with Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, and Buddhist communities

As the church today encounters challenges and opportunities related to rapid growth in the Majority World, new congregational forms, ecumenical movements, interfaith relations, and more, Christians need a robust ecclesiology that makes room for both unity and diversity. In An Introduction to Ecclesiology students, pastors, and laypeople will find an essential resource for understanding how the church can live out its calling as Christ’s community on earth.

Key Features

• Surveys major theological traditions, including Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Reformed, and Pentecostal
• Revised and expanded edition is thoroughly updated to incorporate recent literature and trends
• Provides an essential resource for understanding how the church can live out its calling as Christ’s community on earth

Contents

• Part One: Ecclesiological Traditions and Key Theologians
• Part Two: Contextual and Global Ecclesiologies
• Part Three: The Life and Mission of the Church
• Part Four: The Christian Church Among Religious Communities

Top Highlights

“The expression Free Churches involves two primary meanings. It refers to communities with congregationalist polity or church constitution, and it emphasizes a stated separation between church and state.” (Page 3)

“those churches that define what ecclesiality means usually fulfill the requirements of their own definitions!” (Page 3)

Praise for the Print Edition

Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen presents us with an astute historical and global summary of ecclesial traditions and contemporary trends, shaping the plight of the church’s mission today in this illuminating revised and expanded edition of An Introduction to Ecclesiology. Interreligious understandings of the church are essential in our ever-diversifying climate, and Kärkkäinen offers his significant perspective on its importance for us today. This updated book is a challenging book, as the church navigates through new territories and a changing global landscape.

—Grace Ji-Sun Kim, professor of theology at Earlham School of Religion, author of Reimagining Spirit and Keeping Hope Alive

When it comes to theological primers, this one by Veli-Matti Kärkäinen is probably without peers. It is concise without sacrificing essentials, comprehensive without overburdening the beginner. This expanded edition includes contributions from the Majority World and voices from the margins, which make it a truly ecumenical state-of-the-art introduction.

—Simon Chan, editor of the Asia Journal of Theology, Singapore

Product Details

• Title: An Introduction to Ecclesiology: Historical, Global, and Interreligious Perspectives
• Author: Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen
• Edition: Revised and Expanded
• Publisher: IVP Academic
• Print Publication Date: 2021
• Logos Release Date: 2021
• Pages: 281
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Church; Ecclesiology
• ISBNs: 9780830841905, 9780830841899, 0830841903, 083084189X
• Resource ID: LLS:NNTRDCTNCCLSRVD
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T01:52:30Z

About Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen

Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen joined the Fuller faculty as associate professor of systematic theology in 2000 and was named full professor in 2003. He also holds a teaching position at the University of Helsinki as Dozent of Ecumenics. Prior to coming to Fuller, Kärkkäinen served as president and professor at IsoKirja College in Keuruu, Finland. He has taught and lived with his family on three continents: Europe, Asia (Thailand), and North America (the U.S.) He has also lectured and served as visiting professor in various schools around the world. He travels widely and has a command of several languages.

A prolific writer, Kärkkäinen has published 11 books in English (and seven in his native language, Finnish), most recently The Trinity: Global Perspectives (2007), One With God: Salvation as Deification and Justification (2004), and Trinity and Religious Pluralism: The Doctrine of the Trinity in Christian Theology of Religions (2004), as well as more than 100 articles, which have appeared in international scholarly journals. He is also the editor (with William Dyrness) of Global Dictionary of Theology (2008). Kärkkäinen was appointed to three editorial boards in 2008, which include the Strategic Initiatives in Systematic Theology series by InterVarsity Press, the Studies in Systematic Theology series by Brill Press (Leiden, Netherlands), and the International Journal of Systematic Theology. He is a member of three working groups of the World Council of Churches and has participated in numerous international consultations. He is also an external examiner for Wales University.