What is the church? In a day when people increasingly view the church as a relic of the past, this may be the most important question Christians can ask themselves. The logical starting point is Scripture. In this thorough and engaging study of the church in the New Testament, Kevin Giles concludes that the church is first and foremost a Christian community. No other category offers greater breadth and depth of insight into its nature. No other category offers such a challenge to Western individualism, nor such promise for the revitalization of the church in the postmodern world. 'What on Earth Is the Church?' is an exploration in New Testament theology, a careful study of the ecclesial community from Jesus to Paul and on through to Revelation. Each category of New Testament writings is carefully assessed, with attention given to the early, middle, and late Pauline letters, and to the theology of each Gospel. Giles finds in the New Testament a community in transition -- never perfect, always provisional, and forever living in the tension between its present imperfection and its eschatological ideal. The New Testament does not promise an original community to be recaptured but a variety of perspectives on being the community of God in changing social environments.

The nature of the Church and the authority of the pope explained. With clarity and verve, Msgr. Ronald Knox shows that the Catholic Church is not just an assembly of Christians, but is directly the handiwork of God, deliberately designed by Him as a hierarchical institution headed by the Pope.

When He came to earth, Jesus Christ was rejected in every quarter in which He stepped. The Creator was rejected by His own creation. “He came to His own and His own received Him not,” said John. For this reason, Jesus Christ had “no where to lay His head.” There was one exception, however. A little village just outside of Jerusalem named Bethany. Bethany was the only place on earth where Jesus was completely received. God’s Favorite Place on Earth is a retelling of Jesus’ many visits to Bethany and a relaying of the message it holds for us today. Frank Viola presents a beautifully crafted narrative from the viewpoint of Lazarus, one of the people who lived in Bethany with his two sisters. This incomparable story not only brings the Gospel narratives to life, but it addresses the struggle against doubt, discouragement, fear, guilt, rejection, and spiritual apathy that challenges countless Christians today. In profoundly moving prose, God’s Favorite Place on Earth will captivate your heart with its beauty, charm, and depth. In this book you will discover how to live as a “Bethany” in our world today, being set free to love and follow Jesus like never before.

A radical approach to church mission and social action that asks, 'If mission is not the central purpose of the church, then what is?' David Devenish believes that the church exists as a means of taking the gospel message to every people group. He believes that the church is very much at the centre of God's purposes, and in this book presents the church, not as a static pastoral community, but as a vibrant, active body totally committed to world mission. David investigates the importance of church planting to reach the nations, looks at Church-based mission and how to make local churches missional in both thinking and practice. Set within a framework of the Kingdom of God, David demonstrates what the kingdom down to earth really implies for Church-based kingdom social action. Finally, he examines the culture and contextualisation of social action along with some of the dangers and difficulties of apostolic mission, before asking the fundamental question, Who will go?

Have you ever wondered why we Christians do what we do for church every Sunday morning? Why do we “dress up” for church? Why does the pastor preach a sermon each week? Why do we have pews, steeples, and choirs? This ground-breaking book, now in affordable softcover, makes an unsettling proposal: most of what Christians do in present-day churches is rooted, not in the New Testament, but in pagan culture and rituals developed long after the death of the apostles. Coauthors Frank Viola and George Barna support their thesis with compelling historical evidence and extensive footnotes that document the origins of modern Christian church practices. In the process, the authors uncover the problems that emerge when the church functions more like a business organization than the living organism it was created to be. As you reconsider Christ's revolutionary plan for his church—to be the head of a fully functioning body in which all believers play an active role—you'll be challenged to decide whether you can ever do church the same way again.

Contains eight lectures given at a fall 1991 lecture series at the Smithsonian Institution, examining the individual and collective experiences of the Byzantine faithful in order to understand the interaction of religion and art in Byzantium and thus bring the civilization to life. Topics include central themes in Byzantine theology, architecture and the liturgy, Byzantine silver plate, and illustrated service books of Byzantium. Excerpts from original sources are quoted extensively. Includes bandw and color photos and a glossary. Paper edition (unseen), $27.50. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR