Tradition And Church Reform

A concise and readable study for laypersons and clergy alike, this book is indispensable for all informed people in many different confessional communities. With the passion of one who not only observes but believes, John Leith touches on all aspects of Reformed history, theology, polity, liturgy, and Christian culture with a balance of enthusiasm and critical judgment that always rings true.

Richard Muller, a world-class scholar of the Reformation era, examines the relationship of Calvin's theology to the Reformed tradition, indicating Calvin's place in the tradition as one of several significant second-generation formulators. Muller argues that the Reformed tradition is a diverse and variegated movement not suitably described either as founded solely on the thought of John Calvin or as a reaction to or deviation from Calvin, thereby setting aside the old "Calvin and the Calvinists" approach in favor of a more integral and representative perspective. Muller offers historical corrective and nuance on topics of current interest in Reformed theology, such as limited atonement/universalism, union with Christ, and the order of salvation.

Archbishop Angelo Roncali (later Pope John XXIII) read True and False Reform during his years as papal nuncio in France and asked, A reform of the church 'is such a thing really possible?" A decade later as pope, he opened the Second Vatican Council by describing its goals in terms that reflected Congar's description of authentic reform: reform that penetrates to the heart of doctrine as a message of salvation for the whole of humanity, that retrieves the meaning of prophecy in a living church, and that is deeply rooted in history rather than superficially related to the apostolic tradition. Pope John called the council not to reform heresy or to denounce errors but to update the church's capacity to explain itself to the world and to revitalize ecclesial life in al its unique local manifestations. Congar's masterpiece fills in the blanks of what we have been missing in our reception of the council and its call to "true reform." Yves Congar, OP, a French Dominican who died in 1995, was the most important ecclesiologist in modern times. His writings and his active participation in Vatican II had an immense influence upon the council documents. With a few other contemporaries, Congar pioneered a new style of theological research and writing that linked the great tradition of Scripture and the Fathers to contemporary pastoral questions with lucidity and passion. His key concerns were the unity of the church, lay apostolic life, and a revival of the church's theology of the Holy Spirit. He was named a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in recognition of his profound contributions to the Second Vatican Council. Pal Philibert, OP, has taught pastoral theology in the United States and abroad. He is a Dominican friar of the Southern Province. His translation of a collection of Congar's essays on the liturgy has recently been published by Liturgical Press under the title At the Heart of Christian Worship. His book The Priesthood of the Faithful: Key to a living Church (Liturgical Press, 2005) reflects the ecclesiology of Yves Congar and his Vision of the apostolic life of the faithful. "

Thomas McGonigle and James Quigley present us with a history of Christian belief and institutions from the Reformation to Vatican II and beyond.

Christians do not always mean the same thing when they speak of the Church. What is held about the nature of the Church is of great importance because it is intimately connected with what is held about the nature of Christ. The purpose of this book is to present the Reformed tradition on the subject. At the outset, the author gives a brief sketch of the four main traditions within the Reformation heritage: Lutheran, Anglican, that of the Separatists, and the Reformed. The study includes an examination of the medieval background, an exposition of Calvin's doctrine of the Church, and an extended account of the development of thought on the subject in the Church of Scotland, with special reference to the contributions of the Scottish divines of the seventeenth century. Dr. MacGregor analyzes the Greek term 'ekklesia', and then presents the doctrine of Baptism as meaning incorporation by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ. He also deals extensively with the subject of the Eucharist, as well as the development of the corporate episcopate in the Reformed Church. The doctrine of the ministry is expounded and some controversial questions considered, including questions about the nature of the eldership. The final chapter reviews the whole conception of the Church as the Body of Christ. MacGregor concludes that the Reformed doctrine of the Church is based soundly on Scripture and the classic definitions of the Person of Christ, and that the only ground for unity in the Church is Christ himself. The Church exists where the Word is preached and the Sacraments are celebrated, and where it calls men to discipline and to service. Scholarly footnotes are given on almost every page, and two appendices are provided. One contains passages, in Latin, illustrating the teaching of St. Augustine on Christ as the Head and the Church as the Body. The other contains extracts, in Latin, French, and English, from ten confessional documents, beginning with the Augsburg Confession (1530) and extending to the Westminster Confession (1647). There is also an extended bibliography and a topical index. This book is an excellent resource for ministers, teachers, and students alike.

Endorsements: "Liturgical Presbyterians? No, this is not an oxymoron. D. G. Hart has written a lively polemic against the well-intentioned dumbing-down of worship by advocates of church growth. This book is going to make some people very mad, and it will make others very glad. Those who have thrown away the theological substance of the great Reformed tradition of Christian worship ought to be mad. Hart shames them. And yet, for those whose privilege it is to praise and serve God in a church that enjoys the Reformed way of worship in all its depth, glory, and joy, this book is a great summons to faithfulness in our time." --WILLIAM H. WILLIMON, Duke Divinity School "Beginning to realize just how much they have been shaped by non-Reformed influences, conservative Presbyterian and Reformed churches are now being forced to decide between a generic 'low-church' Protestantism, a 'high church' tradition, or, oddly enough, a more traditional Reformed and Presbyterian approach. D. G. Hart believes that Reformed theology provides resources not only for understanding that we are saved, but also for how we worship and mature in the Christian faith. There's a lot of wisdom here, and whether one agrees or disagrees with Hart, his well-considered arguments cannot be responsibly ignored by adherents of Reformed Christianity." --MICHAEL HORTON, Editor in Chief, Modern Reformation "Unabashedly writing to inform, rouse, and serve his fellow Presbyterians, D. G. Hart has nonetheless produced a book that is properly and profoundly ecumenical. Christians from all communions who take seriously the identity and nature of the church will learn from Hart's analysis of the complex arrangement under God of cult and culture, form and content, church and state, praise and proclamation, cross and crown. Hart reminds us that the chronicles of the people of God always offer encouragement to strengthen feeble arms, weak knees, and lazy minds." --KEN MYERS, host and producer of the Mars Hill Audio Journal "Hart's book combines world-class scholarship with keen social and ecclesiastical awareness and should be read and reread by those who want to transmit the piety and ethos of the Reformed tradition to the next generation." --TERRY L. JOHNSON, Independent Presbyterian Church, Savannah, Georgia

Christianity Today Book of the Year Award ECPA Gold Medallion Award History is made up of stories--narratives that recount the events, movements, ideas and lives that have shaped religions and nations. Theologian Roger Olson believes that the history of Christian theology should be told as such a story, one replete with thick plots, exciting twists, interesting people and fascinating ideas. In this panoramic work of historical theology Olson vividly recounts the deeds and words of the cultists and apostolic fathers of the second century, the clash between the theological schools of Alexandria and Antioch, the epochal division between East and West, the revolutionary advent of the Reformation and much more, right on up to the dazzling, sometimes dismaying fallout that has continued to shake Christians through the twentieth century. Through it all Olson detects and traces a common thread: a concern for salvation--God's redemptive activity in forgiving and transforming sinful human beings. Evenhanded, refreshingly readable, impressive in its breadth and depth, The Story of Christian Theology is poised to become a standard historical theology text.