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I received an email from a friend who asked if I knew of any suggested one volume texts on ecclesiology. Does anyone have a recommendation for him?

Regards.

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All Scripture quotations are New American Standard Bible, unless otherwise indicated.

Jimd-Why not encourage your friend to study, in depth, Paul's letter to the Ephesians. This is one of Paul's last letters, written from prison in Rome, and is the gold standard for ecclesiology in the NT. Net Bible. Jack

There are two books to possibly consider:
An Introduction to Ecclesiology: Ecumenical, Historical & Global Perspectives by Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen (a very reputable Pentecostal theologian from Fuller Seminary who has compiled quite a number of composite global perspective books like this one and done so in a manner that is respectful of distinctions). It basically covers all different perspectives globally...which may not be as much of what your friend is looking for. It will give a wider perspective and more of a glance at all of them. (All of it in only 238 pages)

The second is part of a series (Christian Foundations) written by the Reformed theologian Donald Bloesch The Church: Sacraments, Worship, Ministry, Mission, but works well as a stand-alone volume. He does cover many different perspectives as well, but not as comprehensively and I find that he is located more specifically within the Reformed tradition and he goes much further in delineating the specifics of ecclesiology. (This takes 351 pages...a notable difference from the other volume, but depending on what your friend is looking for would affect which one they may consider buying and actually spending the time reading. The former they are more likely to finish. The latter they may actually find more depth in a single perspective with less global perspective.)

Hope that helps.

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Jack, thanks, but my friend already studies his Bible regularly. Anti, thanks for the suggestions. I emailed him a link to this thread yesterday and told him to check back and he was certain to find some suggestions, and now, thanks to you, he will.

Regards.

_________________
All Scripture quotations are New American Standard Bible, unless otherwise indicated.

I would recommend Edmund Clowney's book The Church in the Contours of Christian Theology series by IVP. The only issue I have with this book is that it is written from a Presbyterian-Paedobaptist perspective.

Another book I would highly recommend is Robert Saucy's The Church in God's Program by Moody Press. The perspective given is more dispensational and baptistic. This is probably the first book I would assign if I was teaching a course on ecclesiology.