The Priesthood Of All Believers And The Missio Dei

The priesthood of all believers is a pillar undergirding Protestant ecclesiology. Yet the doctrine has often been used to serve diverse agendas. This book examines the doctrine's canonical, catholic, and contextual dimensions. It first identifies the priesthood of all believers as a canonical doctrine based upon the royal priesthood of Christ and closely related to the believer's eschatological temple-service and offering of spiritual sacrifices (chapters 1-3). It secondly describes its catholic development by examining three paradigmatic shifts, shifts especially associated with Christendom (chapters 4-6) and a suppression of the doctrine's missional component. Finally, the book argues that a Christian doctrine of the priesthood of all believers should be developed with a Christocentric-Trinitarian understanding of the missio Dei. This suggests there are especially appropriate ways for the royal priesthood to relate to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. A canonically and catholically informed priesthood of all believers leads contextually to particular ecclesial practices. These seven practices are 1) Baptism as public ordination to the royal priesthood; 2) Prayer; 3) Lectio Divina; 4) Ministry; 5) Church Discipline; 6) Proclamation; and 7) the Lord's Supper as the renewal of the royal priesthood.

The priesthood of all believers is a pillar undergirding Protestant ecclesiology. Yet the doctrine has often been used to serve diverse agendas. This book examines the doctrine's canonical, catholic, and contextual dimensions. It first identifies the priesthood of all believers as a canonical doctrine based upon the royal priesthood of Christ and closely related to the believer's eschatological temple-service and offering of spiritual sacrifices (chapters 1-3). It secondly describes its catholic development by examining three paradigmatic shifts, shifts especially associated with Christendom (chapters 4-6) and a suppression of the doctrine's missional component. Finally, the book argues that a Christian doctrine of the priesthood of all believers should be developed with a Christocentric-Trinitarian understanding of the missio Dei. This suggests there are especially appropriate ways for the royal priesthood to relate to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. A canonically and catholically informed priesthood of all believers leads contextually to particular ecclesial practices. These seven practices are 1) Baptism as public ordination to the royal priesthood; 2) Prayer; 3) Lectio Divina; 4) Ministry; 5) Church Discipline; 6) Proclamation; and 7) the Lord's Supper as the renewal of the royal priesthood. ""Through union with Christ, all believersare ordained to his royal priesthood to serve in the eschatological temple and offer spiritual sacrifices.Hank Voss does a masterful job of presenting and defending this doctrine through careful exegesis of the biblical texts, setting 'priesthood' in the larger context of biblical theology, and showing how the priesthood of all believers has been understood, misunderstood, and often neglected in the history of the church.The implications of this study are profound for the life of the community of God's people.All pastors and church leaders should read this book as a lens to help reevaluate how they do ministry."" --Clinton E. Arnold, Dean and Professor of New Testament, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University ""At a time when narcissism and schism seek to undermine our church life, it is important to rediscover the biblical perspective of the universal priesthood of all believers in the context of God's grand design for his people.Dr. Voss's insightful text provides a clear path to avoid the lethal effects of individualism, and to develop a vital spiritual formation that will inevitably lead to healthy spirituality and effective ministry in the church."" --Don L. Davis, Director, The Urban Ministry Institute; Senior Vice-President, World Impact Hank Voss (PhD, Wheaton College) is national director of church planting at World Impact and senior national staff with The Urban Ministry Institute (TUMI). He is the co-author of Representing Christ: A Vision for the Priesthood of All Believers. His ministry experience includes fifteen years in urban ministry and contextualized theological education. Voss is married to Johanna and they have four children."

The priesthood of all believers is a core Protestant belief. But what does it actually mean? Uche Anizor and Hank Voss set the record straight in this concise treatment of a doctrine that lies at the center of church life and Christian spirituality. The authors look at the priesthood of all believers in terms of the biblical witness, the contribution of Martin Luther and the doctrine of the Trinity. They place this concept in the context of the canonical description of Israel and the church as a royal priesthood that responds to God in witness and service to the world. Representing Christ is much more than a piece of Reformation history. It shows that the priesthood of all believers is interwoven with the practical, spiritual and missional life of the church.

A substantial theological exploration of priesthood in secular work and its significance for the future of the Church in the twenty-first century, in which Jenny Gage argues that priests in secular work (PSW) have a specific vocation, which is not to be subsumed under any church-based model of ordained ministry.

Drawing on archival records and firsthand accounts, this work explores the history, theology, and missiology of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES). It examines how IFES’s commitment to immediacy, mediation, and participation are grounded upon a firm belief in the priesthood of all believers and a missional ecclesiology that presupposes God’s involvement in all aspects of life, including the university. It traces the impact of diverse cultures and theologies upon the manifold expressions of mission IFES has engaged, and the role of IFES in extending the presence of God’s people in places, and among ideologies, where traditional church structures have limited access. This book is a powerful reminder of the transformative impact created when believers, whether students or otherwise, participate in the missio Dei as faithful and creative witnesses in their own contexts. Bearing relevance for all those interested in a Christian perspective on the university or the theological reverberations of student ministry, it also offers a robust theological framework for understanding the legitimacy of parachurch organizations and lay ministry.

Clericalism is everywhere in the Christian life and perhaps not where you might expect. It elevates certain models, vocations, or ways of being Church in such a way as to diminish others. In 'Priesthood for all Believers, Fr Simon Cuff argues that a radical focus on the particularity of vocation and intentionality of living out vocation are central tools in the Church’s tool box to stop clericalism in its tracks. Some attempts to be less clericalist by doing away with certain forms of ministry can, he suggests, encourage clericalism. One of the best ways to overcome clericalism is a more intentional focus on particular ministries and the particular ministry of the ordained. Exploring these particular ministries afresh, grounded on Christ’s priesthood and the importance of a diaconal commission to overcome processes of marginalisation, this book offers a vital perspective both for those preparing for ministry and those trying to make better sense of the ministry they already hold.

"Explores the doctrine of the priesthood of the baptized and examines its significance for the spiritual growth of the faithful and the revitalization of the church"--Provided by publisher.