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What is a church? This can be a difficult question to answer and Christians have offered a variety of perspectives. Gregg Allison thus explores and synthesizes all that Scripture affirms about the new covenant people of God, capturing a full picture of the biblical church. He covers the topics of the church’s identity and characteristics; its growth through purity, unity, and discipline; its offices and leadership structures; its ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper; and its ministries. Here is a rich approach to ecclesiology consisting of sustained doctrinal reflection and wise, practical application.
- Sales Rank: #287032 in eBooks
- Published on: 2012-11-30
- Released on: 2012-11-15
- Format: Kindle eBook
Review
“I believe that the doctrine of the church will be the most urgent locus of theological reflection over the next generation. In Sojourners and Strangers, Gregg Allison clears the ground by presenting a thoroughly biblical ecclesiology, at once comprehensive in scope and sensitive to nuance. A welcome addition to an important series.”
—Timothy George, Founding Dean, Beeson Divinity School; General Editor, Reformation Commentary on Scripture
“The doctrine of the church is one that continues to divide Christians, and especially Protestants, from one another. Dr. Gregg Allison has grasped this thorny nettle and produced a book that presents both the basic principles that unite us and the controversies that continue to produce different ecclesial formations. He maintains his own conservative, Reformed Baptist convictions while being fair to those who hold other views, making his book a valuable contribution to our understanding of this vitally important subject.”
—Gerald Bray, Research Professor of Divinity, History, and Doctrine, Beeson Divinity School;�author, God Is Love and God Has Spoken
“I am a full-time pastor, and therefore I must be a full-time theologian. As a pastor, my highest calling is to honor Jesus by shepherding his flock. As a theologian, my highest calling is to laud Jesus publically as the hope of the world. Quite frankly, I need help as I deal with real life difficulties that I could not fictionally create. Dr. Allison’s work in Sojourners and Strangers is the most helpful, theologically driven manual for leading in the church. If you buy it, you’ll wear it out.”
—Tyler Jones, Lead Pastor, Vintage Church, Raleigh, North Carolina; Founder, Advance the Church
“Gregg Allison’s Sojourners and Strangers is historically informed, exegetically driven, and theological precise. Even more, this timely tour-de-force ecclesiology displays a love for the church and is written for the church!”
—Christopher W. Morgan, Dean and Professor of Theology, California Baptist University
“No longer can one regard ‘evangelical ecclesiology’ as a contradiction in terms. Among the many recent evangelical volumes on the doctrine of the church, Allison’s will undoubtedly prove to be the standard treatment for years to come. This excellent book is biblically faithful, historically informed, and pastorally relevant. One need not agree with Allison on every point of interpretation to profit immensely from his insights. I struggle to think of another volume on the subject that combines both theological depth and practical wisdom in such readable fashion as does Allison. I cannot recommend it too highly.”
—Sam Storms,�Lead Pastor for Preaching and Vision, Bridgeway Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
“Dr. Gregg Allison has done a masterful job of writing a thorough yet practical analysis of the church. This volume is a ‘must read’ for any serious pastor or theologian who desires to look into the heart of evangelical ecclesiology. As a conservative Christian and pastor of a local church I am too quick to recommend or make decisions regarding the ‘practice’ of the local church with little thought of accountability or connectedness to the church both universal or historical. Allison brings such breadth and depth to the beauty of the church by tracing every section through the early church, Catholic Church, Reformation, and into our contemporary culture and times. I especially appreciated Gregg’s willingness to address prominent issues churches are currently struggling with—such as church governance or the ‘multisite’ movement. This book fills the void that has long existed in most evangelicals’ libraries!”
—Jeffrey T. Gilmore, Executive Teaching Pastor, Parkview Evangelical Free Church, Iowa City, Iowa
“Writing an evangelical ecclesiology is a difficult task, due to the fact that evangelicals differ on many aspects of ecclesiology. All will not agree with the positions taken by Gregg Allison in Sojourners and Strangers, but all will profit from his detailed study. He is especially thorough in his treatment of polity and the ordinances, and goes down some seldom-explored paths in his opening sections. At points, his arguments require careful reading, but often open up new perspectives. I commend it to students of ecclesiology.”
—John S. Hammett, Associate Dean for Theological Studies, Professor of Theology, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary; author Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches
“In this comprehensive treatment of the doctrine of the church, Gregg Allison brings a depth of doctrinal reflection, scriptural understanding, and practical wisdom to bear. Interacting with various ecclesiological perspectives throughout church history and today, he provides a balanced, biblical, and up-to-date treatment of topics from the characteristics of the church, to church government, to church ministry—all informed by his understanding of the paradoxical nature of the church as both part of the world and yet looking to another Kingdom. This work will make a major theological contribution to the expanding literature on the doctrine of the church.”
—Justin S. Holcomb, Episcopal Priest; Professor of Christian Thought, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary; coauthor, Rid of My Disgrace and Is It My Fault? �
“Gregg Allison has done evangelicals a great service with a true theology of the church. In the endless stream of books and blogs on technique and pragmatics of doing church, Sojourners and Strangers gives an answer to the question ‘what is a church?’ that is superbly written, soundly biblical, theologically coherent, and practically applicable. His expertise in historical theology and his experience in leadership in a variety of types of churches enrich his profound biblical insights. It is a must read for all who are serious about leadership in the church of Jesus Christ.”
—Gerry Breshears, Professor of Theology, Westminster Seminary; coauthor,�Death by Love: Letters from the Cross
About the Author
Gregg R. Allison (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is professor of Christian theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is secretary of the Evangelical Theological Society, a book review editor for the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, an elder at Sojourn Community Church, and a theological strategist for Sojourn Network. Allison has taught at several colleges and seminaries, including Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon, and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois, and is the author of numerous books, including Historical Theology: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine,�Sojourners and Strangers: The Doctrine of the Church, and Roman Catholic Theology and Practice: An Evangelical Assessment.
John S. Feinberg (PhD, University of Chicago) is department chair and professor of biblical and systematic theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is the author of Ethics for a Brave New World (with Paul D. Feinberg) and is general editor of Crossway’s Foundations of Evangelical Theology series.
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It was worship to read this book, and challenging. Well worth the money and the time.
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful.
A Comprehensive Biblical Ecclesiology
By Dr. David Steele
Dr. Gregg Allison leaves no stone unturned in his newest work, Sojourners and Strangers: The Doctrine of the Church. Allison's fine piece of work is the latest installment in the Foundations of Evangelical Theology Series, edited by John Feinberg.
Six majors themes form the skeletal structure of Sojourners and Strangers.
Part One: Foundational Issues
Allison introduces the subject of ecclesiology and underscores his presuppositions at the outset: "I firmly maintain that the source - the sole source - and the starting point of our theology is Scripture, the Word of God. He presents the basic idea of the church, which is "the people of God ... the communion of the saints ... and is composed of particular people: 'sojourners and strangers.'"
The author presents his methodology for ecclesiology. Realizing that one's approach in this area has broad implications, Allison contrasts theological methods that embrace continuity and discontinuity between the testaments. He stands somewhere in the middle of this debate by describing himself as one who embraces a moderate discontinuity, what some have described as progressive dispensationalism. His conviction has a bearing on his view that concerns the origin of the church and the relationship between the church, Israel, and the ordinance of baptism. This hermeneutical criteria is a helpful backdrop that serves the rest of the book well.
Part Two: The Biblical Vision - Characteristics of the Church
Here the author studies the inception of the church and her relationship to Israel and the kingdom of God. Allison makes his position clear: "Because of the identity of the new covenant partners - God and Christ-followers - I draw the conclusion that the church began at Pentecost and did not exist prior to that monumental event." While writing from a Reformed framework, the "line in the sand is drawn" by distinguishing himself from main stream Covenant theology. The argument is straightforward: "But these faithful and obedient followers of Jehovah, these people of God, did not constitute the church. Yes, God's work of redemption began with Adam. Yes, God's promise to bless all human beings through a particular nation was made to Abraham. Yes, God's covenant with the particular people of Israel was given specific expression on Mount Sinai with Moses. But the people of God post-Adamic covenant, post-Abrahamic covenant, and post-old/Mosaic covenant - up to the new covenant - did not constitute the church."
Allison's hermeutical presuppositions are refreshing to be sure because while on one had he distinguishes himself from the covenantal framework, he also distinguishes himself from classical dispensationalism, i.e. "the church stands in both continuity and discontinuity with the people of God in the past." Near as I can tell, he is an agreement with the essence of the proposal but forth by Peter Gentry and Stephen Wellum in their excellent work, Kingdom Through Covenant.
Additionally, the orientation of the church is established in part two by examining seven characteristics of the church.
1. The Church is Doxological - oriented to the glory of God.
2. The Church is Logocentric - focused on the Word of God.
3. The Church is Pneumadynamic - empowered by the Holy Spirit.
4. The Church is Covenantal - with God and in covenant community with one another.
5. The Church is Confessional - united by a common Christian confession or creed.
6. The Church is Missional - called to proclaim the gospel and advance the kingdom of God.
7. The Church is Spatio-Temporal/Eschatological - a historical reality with a grand future.
Allison explains each characteristic in great detail and suggests practical suggestions for abiding by the biblical model.
Part Three: The Vision Actualized - The Growth of the Church
Part three demonstrates how the vision set forth in the previous section will be fostered and protected. This vision will be actualized by maintaining the purity and unity of the church. Additionally, the commitment to church discipline plays a key role. Church discipline is defined as "an anticipatory and declarative sign of the divine eschatological judgment, meted out by Jesus Christ through the church against its sinful members and sinful situations." Churches who neglect or reject church discipline do great harm to its members and the testimony of God's people.
Part Four: The Government of the Church
In this critical section, Dr. Allison unpacks the offices of the church. First, he examines the office of apostle which is "no longer operative" in the author's view. He continues to explore the office of elder and deacon, noting the biblical qualifications and responsibilities of each.
The subject of church government is set forth in a clear and understandable way. Episcopalianism, Presbyterianism, and Congregationalism are explained in their historical context. The author presents his proposal for the governance of congregational churches - a model that is elder-led and congregationally affirmed - which appears to be the biblical model.
Part Five: The Ordinances of the Church
The various views of baptism and the Lord's supper are presented in light of church history. Disagreements that the author has with other views are set forth with charity and graciousness.
Part Six: The Ministries of the Church
Finally, Allison overviews the various spiritual gifts, a biblical theology of worship, and various ministries that emerge in the local church context. The church should be "for the world and against (the sinful corruption) of the world.
Summary
I cannot recommend Allison's work highly enough. His treatment of ecclesiology should be applauded for its depth and breath. And it should be celebrated for its gracious approach to disputable matters. Readers will be remiss to find a shred of compromise or capitulation; yet his gentle approach weaves throughout the fabric of the book. Sojourners and Strangers should be required reading for every Ecclesiology class for Bible College students and Seminarians alike. This book will not only instruct and educate; it will help stem the tide of errors and mis-steps that have so characterized the last several years of church history, especially the blunders that have come out of the emergent and seeker-sensitive church. I would also refer readers to his excellent work, Historical Theology for a superb look at the development of Christian theology in church history.
5 stars
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
An Excellent Introduction to Ecclesiology
By Nate Claiborne
The intention of the Foundations of Evangelical Theology series is "to address all areas of evangelical theology with a special emphasis on key issues in each area" and "to incorporate insights from Scripture, historical theology, philosophy, etc., in order to produce an up-to-date work in systematic theology." (17) Most of the writers are thoroughly evangelical in their theology and from a broadly Reformed perspective. The series aims to be "understandable to the beginner in theology as well as to the academic theologian," so the authors take care "to define whatever technical terms they use." (17)
With that in mind, Gregg Allison is offering a textbook on ecclesiology which is evangelical and broadly Reformed. Allison teaches at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, so it's a Reformed baptist perspective. He is an elder at Sojourn Community Church, and if you're familiar with that church/church planting network, that means this is an ecclesiology from a Reformed Baptist perspective that is in favor of multi-site churches (which he provides a defense for at the end of chapter 9).
The book itself is split into 7 parts:
Foundational Issues
The Biblical Vision - Characteristics of The Church
The Vision Actualized - The Growth of The Church
The Government of The Church
The Ordinances of The Church
The Ministries of The Church
Conclusion
The opening two chapters cover first, a general introduction to the study of the doctrine of the church, and second the basis of the church in the new covenant. Allison explains his method, and makes a good case that this is an important doctrine. Just as a side note, it is a doctrine that one of my profs at Dallas said was perhaps the most vital doctrine for the contemporary evangelical church to recover. We tend to either overlook or simply ignore studying ecclesiology, and Allison's book aims to fix that issue.
The second part of the book turns to the characteristics of the church, or we could say the marks of a true church. Allison splits his marks into those related to the origin and orientation of the church (chapter 3) and those regarding the gathering and sending of the church (chapter 4). The resulting list is as follows:
Doxological (3)
Logocentric (3)
Pneumadynamic (3)
Covenantal (4)
Confessional (4)
Missional (4)
Spatio-temporal/Eschatological (4)
By "doxological," Allison highlights the orientation of the church towards worship. By "logocentric," Allison means the church is both Jesus centered and Scripture centered. "Pneumadynamic" fills out the trio of adjectives from chapter 3 and refers to the Spirit's animating presence within the gathered body of believers. When it comes to chapter 4, I think you probably get the gist of what the first three adjectives mean (covenantal, confessional, missional) but spatio-temporal/eschatology might be a bit opaque. By it, Allison means that the church is an assembled historical reality (spatio-temporal) that has a future looking hope that affects how it functions in the here and now (eschatological).
With the vision in place, Allison continues on the growth of the church. His first chapter is on the purity and unity of the church. Here Allison draws a clear line between true and false churches, but allows for flexibility within true churches for them to be more or less pure in the faithfulness to the biblical vision. Chapter 6 finishes out this section with a discussion of the nature and significance of church discipline.
This provides a good segue to part 4 which concerns the government of the church. Allison begins with the offices of the church (chapter 7), before looking at the different types of church government (chapter 8). It is at this point that I think denominational concerns start to play a more significant role. Up to here, I think most denominations would agree with Allison's articulation of the biblical vision for what the church is. But, starting with discussion of the offices, and then moving to government, we get into territory where Allison must start presenting and assessing different view points and come down on a specific position.
When it comes to church government, Allison presents three models: episcopalianism, presbyterianism, and congregationalism. For each, Allison gives a description, biblical and theological support, and misapprehensions and misgivings. In the following chapter (9), Allison presents his own model, which draws lessons from episcopalianism and presbyterianism, and integrates them into a semi-congregational model. The result is a plural-elder-led congregational model that sustains strong connections to other such churches. It is within this context that Allison provides his excursus on multi-site churches, arguing in favor of them.
This brings the reader to part 5, which has a chapter on baptism (10) and communion (11). Allison argues in favor for a believer's baptist position in 10, but not without giving a sustained consideration to the arguments for paedobaptism. He also provides a brief history of the development of baptismal theology and practice. When it comes to the Lord's Supper, Allison offers a similar treatment; first covering the historical development and then the five principal views. He finishes with his own perspective and theology of the Supper.
The final two sections are a chapter each. First, Allison surveys the ministries of the local church through the perspective of the spiritual gifts. His principle ministries or activities are as follows:
The Church Worships the Triune God
The Church Proclaims the Word of God
The Church Engages Non-Christians With the Gospel
The Church Disciples Its Members
The Church Cares for People
The Church is for and against the World
The final point is to underscore that the church is to be in the world but not of it. While Allison doesn't offer a full-blown discussion of the relationship between church and culture, he does touch on it with this last point. The book is then brought to a conclusion with a final section and chapter.
Overall, I found Allison's book to be very helpful. It is a strong contribution to the Foundations of Evangelical Theology series, and a well grounded work on ecclesiology that is sensitive to current practice and historical precedence. For a doctrine that is somewhat neglected, and in some cases very contentious, Allison's work provides an accessible textbook for beginning to intermediate study. Reformed Baptists will find Allison's work most helpful, but other evangelicals of different denominations should also benefit from Allison's even-handed discussion. His arguments for multi-site church, as well as his treatment of baptism are worthy of critical interaction. If you are a pastor or church planter, this book definitely belongs on your shelf, and even if you're not, it's a great addition to a growing theological library!
[The publisher provided me with a review copy of this book and this review was originally published on my personal blog]
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