Perpetually reforming : a theology of church reform and renewal / John P. Bradbury.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bradbury, John P., author.

Series:

Ecclesiological Investigations

Ecclesiological investigations ; v. 14

Bloomsbury collections

T&T Clark theology

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Church renewal.

Theology.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (257 p.)

Place of Publication:

London : Bloomsbury, 2013.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

"One of the slogans of the reformation was ecclesia reformata semper reformanda - 'the reformed church always reforming'. Churches throughout the western world are currently engaged in reform and renewal programmes through internal structural reforms as well as movements like 'emerging church'. This book presents a challenging theology of church reform and renewal that offers a contemporary understanding of this historic slogan. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, Bradbury discerns processes and practices which are perpetually reforming and renewing the identity of the church. It examines doctrinal and confessional conceptions of the church, re-examines texts concerned with covenantal renewal and explores Jewish-Christian dialogue as an example of renewal. A constructive theology is offered utilizing the categories of collective memory and mimetic practice. This upholds fundamental Christian identity, whilst driving the process of reform and renewal under God in the context of a three-way relationship between God, the church and the world."--Bloomsbury Publishing.

Contents:

Title Page; Copyright Page; Contents; Acknowledgements; Abbreviations; Foreword; Chapter 1 Introduction; The problem with 'Church'; The Church in the twenty-first century context; The Church, theology and the theologian; An outline of the work as a whole; Chapter 2 Visible and Invisible?; The contours of a problem; John Calvin: The dualism of election; Karl Barth: The dualism of time and eternity; Locating the 'Problem' of ecclesiological dualisms; Chapter 3 Confessional Identities; The practice of confessing; Attending to a confessional voice: The Basis of Union of the United Reformed Church

Re-formation and confessional identitiesChapter 4 Confessional Re-formation: The Example of the Church and the Jewish People; Calvin and the classic reformed confessional texts; Karl Barth and contemporary reformed confessions of faith; The process of re-formation; The implications of re-formation; Chapter 5 Biblical Re-formations; Covenantal re-formations; A covenant with all: Noah and the first covenant; The covenant with Abraham: The election of a sociality; The Sinai covenant: The centrality of the practice of law; New covenants?; Renewing the canon: Scripture re-reading scripture

Chapter 6 The Covenantal Identity of the ChurchThe 'New' covenant in Christ; Jesus and the extensive ecclesial movement; Orientations to the future; Why the Church?; Chapter 7 The Practices of Identity Renewal; The mediation of social identity: The contribution of 'collective memory'; Practices of remembrance: Collective memory in the Deuteronomic tradition; The reformatory practices of the Church; Chapter 8 Toward the Reformation of the Church; The Church and the world; Finding our orientations; Reforming and renewing scriptural practices; Perpetual reformation; Bibliography; Bible Index

Author Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN:

9781472551283

1472551281

9780567388797

0567388794

9780567363336

0567363333

OCLC:

849928773