The Church: A Guide to the People of God

by Brad East

Publisher:

Lexham Press

, 2024

Do You Believe?

You belong to God’s family. But do you understand what that means?

The Bible tells the story of God and his people. But it is not merely history. It is our story. Abraham is our father. And Israel’s freedom from slavery is ours.

Brad East traces the story of God’s people, from father Abraham to the coming of Christ. He shows how we need the scope of the entire Bible to fully grasp the mystery of the church. The church is not a building but a body. It is not peripheral or optional in the life of faith. Rather, it is the very beating heart of God’s story, where our needs and hopes are found.

Praise for The Church

This is a bright, thoughtful, and passionate account of the Church. Brad East roots ecclesiology in the story of Israel and the story of Jesus Christ and in doing so provides a number of fresh perspectives that can help us in our doctrine and our practice.

—Andrew Wilson, teaching pastor, King’s Church, London

This book is pure delight! Inspiring, instructive, enriching, beautifully written, this book makes one want to be a Christian. It is next to impossible to write an ecumenically rewarding book on the theology of the Church, but Brad East has done it!

—Matthew Levering, James N. Jr. and Mary D. Perry Chair of Theology, Mundelein Seminary, Illinois

Brad East’s The Church wonderfully enhances the already marvelous Lexham series on Christian ‘Essentials.’ Building off of the Church’s ‘Mystery’ that is Christ’s Body, as Ephesians proclaims, East outlines the story of God’s people born of Abraham, in its breadth, beauty, imperative, and promise. Lucid, compact, attractive, and appropriately rich with the figures of Scripture’s visionary treasure, this book is not only a fine introduction for new Christians of all traditions but a well from which to draw continued reflection and prayerful praise. Highly commended!

—Ephraim Radner, professor of historical theology, Wycliffe College, University of Toronto, Canada

I find this an extraordinary book. It is short. It is written with simplicity and clarity. And yet it covers so much, introducing its readers to an extraordinarily rich field of theology.

—Karen Kilby, Bede Professor of Catholic Theology, Durham University

Christian Essentials

The Christian Essentials series passes down tradition that matters. The ancient church was founded on basic biblical teachings and practices like the Ten Commandments, baptism, the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Supper, the Lord’s Prayer, and corporate worship. These basics of the Christian life have sustained and nurtured every generation of the faithful—from the apostles to today. The books in the Christian Essentials series open up the meaning of the foundations of our faith.

Learn more about the other titles in this series.

Contents

• Mystery
• Mother
• Chosen
• Bound
• Redeemed
• Holy
• Ruled
• Beloved
• Incarnate
• Sent
• Entrusted
• Benediction

Product Details

• Title: The Church: A Guide to the People of God
• Author: Brad East
• Series: Christian Essentials
• Publisher: Lexham Press
• Publication Date: 2024
• Pages: 224
• Format: Logos Digital, Hardcover
• Trim Size: 5x7
• ISBN: 9781683597681

About Brad East

Brad East is associate professor of theology at Abilene Christian University. He is also the author of The Church: A Guide to the People of God, The Church’s Book: Theology of Scripture in Ecclesial Context, and The Doctrine of Scripture. His essays have been published in numerous academic journals as well as The Christian Century, Christianity Today, Commonweal, First Things, The Los Angeles Review of Books, The Point, and more.