Hmmm... well, I think that most of the books that have shaped my ecclesiology haven't all been explicitly about Church. But they would include:
Transforming Mission - Bosch Church Planting - Murray Body Politics - Yoder Christianity Rediscovered - Donovan Paul's idea of community - Banks
and then a number of other anabaptist books that have shaped my view of discipleship, which invariably gives church a particular shape.
Oh, no, wait... scrap all that. I got my ecclesiology straight from God (via the Bible)! ;-)
Jamie
· 4 years ago
Politics of Jesus-John Howard Yoder
Gary Hall
· 4 years ago
For me, the preaching of Greg Boyd, Woddland Hills Church, that lead me to a life for Christ.
I also find Pat Kahnke sermons, St. Paul Fellowship, helpful.
A few books, other then the Bible, that have helped me in my walk are:
Mere Christianity More than a Carpenter As a Driven Leaf, fiction Letters of a Skeptic The Screwtape Letters
These are a few books that have helped me to understand being a Christian. I am a recovering Roman Catholic, so I had much to learn.
Thanks
Gary
Richard
· 4 years ago
"The Church Beyond The Congregation" - James Thwaites.
"Re-negotiating the Church Contract" - James Thwaites.
And a couple of books to come out of Harvard Business School: "The Support Economy" and "The Future of Competition". These show the changing face of business from the institutional model to a support network. The parrallels can be made with the organisation of the church.
Michael Binder
· 4 years ago
Mark,
I'd say McManus' book The Unstoppable Force impacted me a lot in thinking about the missional church.
Incidentally, first time to your blog, great site!
Michael Binder
jim
· 4 years ago
A Theology as big as the city- Bakke, It caused me to see the potential of churches as spiritual and social change agents. Both together; all that holistic stuff, but it is right on.
Acts 2:42-47 it is all there Doctrine Christian community Spiritual disciplines Charismata Love of neighbor evidenced not just spoken Continuity (this was not a weekend revival) Thankful hearts Praising God Good community relations Evangelism effective
An article by John Piper years ago in which he writes about the mandate of the invisible church as bringing glory to God simply by existing but the local church bringing glory to God by doing good works--> Let your light so shine before men that may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven... Reformed or not that is how I remember it ;-)
todd h
· 4 years ago
I also had my purpose-driven phase, while at the same time trying to sort out how it fit in with Eugene Peterson's work, like: Under the Unpredictable Plant.
From there, I think it would have to be Missional Church, and then the big 3 (IMO) by Newbigin: The Gospel in a Pluralist Society, Foolishness to the Greeks, and The Open Secret. You gotta love Newbigin!
D. Goodmanson
· 4 years ago
So...what books (or people) have really challenged your thinking the most about the nature and function of the Church?
9 Marks of a Healthy Church is a great book...
Bruce
· 4 years ago
I'm currently reading Erwin McManus' book "The Barbarian Way." Different way of looking at Christianity as a whole.
Also, several books by C. S. Lewis.
Any other recommendations?
jeremy
· 4 years ago
My answers will be boring since most are already in your sidebar.
Darrell Guder: Continuing Conversion of the Church and Missional Church
Wendell Berry: complete works of
Randy Frazee: The Connecting Church (pastor of a missional mega-church, if that's possible)
Dan Kimball: Emerging Worship
several blogs, including yours
blorge
· 4 years ago
This may seem like an odd list, but it's probably because I'm more of a theologian (and because I haven't taken any church leadership courses or workshops because I was in the Christian Thought program at Sem).
The Faces of Forgiveness (F. LeRon Shults & Steven Sandage)
Life Together, and Sanctorum Communio (Bonhoeffer)
Resident Alians (Hauerwas)
I second the Wendell Berry one, Jeremy ;)
Chris B.
· 4 years ago
The Communist Manifesto, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, and The Community Rule from the Dead Sea Scrolls
Paul Adams
· 4 years ago
"Kicking Habits: Welcome Relief for Addicted Churches" --- Thomas Bandy
Jeff
· 4 years ago
A Propber Confidence by Lesslie Newbigin & The Christian Agnostic by Leslie Weatherhead. I guess I have a thing for guys named Leslie.
T.J.
· 4 years ago
Influences...Hmph. I don't like to "taint the pool" (of my mind) with outside influence. I ask a lot of questions, why do we do things this way, why isn't it working (if it's not working), what would be revealed in us if we did things another way, what would God want the result to be, what will mobilize our faith, what are we willing to wager on what we know of God's character, finally, what does the bible actually say about these things? The result is conversations and decisions take a lot longer with me, but I hate entering in with assumptions. I do; however, love the guiding principles of the Quakers... Quakers are Punk Rock!
My post may be very unsatisfying, you can't shackle my mind. :>)
Mostly, I like bumping my way through "church"; if we value the right things, maybe church is what happens, it is the natural result.
Van S
· 4 years ago
TJ...so in other words, you're influenced by the Quakers :)
Mike Schellman
· 4 years ago
Influences - hmmm, Mostly its in bits and pieces. Passages like 1 Jn 1-4 show that the Word/Message/Jesus is the center of the church - this truth is affirmed by the reformation tradition - that the proclamation of the Word creates and sustains the church (Luther states "The Word of God goes forth conquering and wherever it conquers and gains true obedience to God - there is the Church";and Karl Barth says, "the church comes into being in response to the proclamation of the Word of God"). I also like the imagery in the bible of a rock not cut by human hands, and of a city who's builder and maker is God. As far as ecclesiological structure, my strongest inflences are Matthew 18:1-4 and 20:25-28. I feel the most affinity with the anabaptist tradition - especially the early Quakers who seemed to take the headship of Christ and the Guidance of the Holy Spirit the most litterally (perhaps to a fault - one drawback of the anabaptist tradition is how strongly it bought into the enlightenemnet - exalting reason above our other attributes). Finally my last and greatest ecclesiological influence would have to be my wife TJ, who refuses to taint the pool.
All Comments
Transforming Mission - Bosch
Church Planting - Murray
Body Politics - Yoder
Christianity Rediscovered - Donovan
Paul's idea of community - Banks
and then a number of other anabaptist books that have shaped my view of discipleship, which invariably gives church a particular shape.
Oh, no, wait... scrap all that. I got my ecclesiology straight from God (via the Bible)! ;-)
I also find Pat Kahnke sermons, St. Paul Fellowship, helpful.
A few books, other then the Bible, that have helped me in my walk are:
Mere Christianity
More than a Carpenter
As a Driven Leaf, fiction
Letters of a Skeptic
The Screwtape Letters
These are a few books that have helped me to understand being a Christian. I am a recovering Roman Catholic, so I had much to learn.
Thanks
Gary
"Re-negotiating the Church Contract" - James Thwaites.
And a couple of books to come out of Harvard Business School:
"The Support Economy" and "The Future of Competition". These show the changing face of business from the institutional model to a support network. The parrallels can be made with the organisation of the church.
I'd say McManus' book The Unstoppable Force impacted me a lot in thinking about the missional church.
Incidentally, first time to your blog, great site!
Michael Binder
Acts 2:42-47 it is all there
Doctrine
Christian community
Spiritual disciplines
Charismata
Love of neighbor evidenced not just spoken
Continuity (this was not a weekend revival)
Thankful hearts
Praising God
Good community relations
Evangelism effective
An article by John Piper years ago in which he writes about the mandate of the invisible church as bringing glory to God simply by existing but the local church bringing glory to God by doing good works--> Let your light so shine before men that may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven...
Reformed or not that is how I remember it ;-)
From there, I think it would have to be Missional Church, and then the big 3 (IMO) by Newbigin: The Gospel in a Pluralist Society, Foolishness to the Greeks, and The Open Secret. You gotta love Newbigin!
9 Marks of a Healthy Church is a great book...
Also, several books by C. S. Lewis.
Any other recommendations?
Darrell Guder: Continuing Conversion of the Church and Missional Church
Wendell Berry: complete works of
Randy Frazee: The Connecting Church (pastor of a missional mega-church, if that's possible)
Dan Kimball: Emerging Worship
several blogs, including yours
The Faces of Forgiveness (F. LeRon Shults & Steven Sandage)
Life Together, and Sanctorum Communio (Bonhoeffer)
Resident Alians (Hauerwas)
I second the Wendell Berry one, Jeremy ;)
My post may be very unsatisfying, you can't shackle my mind. :>)
Mostly, I like bumping my way through "church"; if we value the right things, maybe church is what happens, it is the natural result.
Mostly its in bits and pieces. Passages like 1 Jn 1-4 show that the Word/Message/Jesus is the center of the church - this truth is affirmed by the reformation tradition - that the proclamation of the Word creates and sustains the church (Luther states "The Word of God goes forth conquering and wherever it conquers and gains true obedience to God - there is the Church";and Karl Barth says, "the church comes into being in response to the proclamation of the Word of God").
I also like the imagery in the bible of a rock not cut by human hands, and of a city who's builder and maker is God.
As far as ecclesiological structure, my strongest inflences are Matthew 18:1-4 and 20:25-28.
I feel the most affinity with the anabaptist tradition - especially the early Quakers who seemed to take the headship of Christ and the Guidance of the Holy Spirit the most litterally (perhaps to a fault - one drawback of the anabaptist tradition is how strongly it bought into the enlightenemnet - exalting reason above our other attributes).
Finally my last and greatest ecclesiological influence would have to be my wife TJ, who refuses to taint the pool.