DESCRIPTION
How can we reconcile the ideal church described by theology with the broken church that we see in the world? In this book Joseph Small argues that the church’s true identity is known somewhere in the tension between the two.
Small revisits familiar ecclesiological concepts—people of God, the body of Christ, the communion of the Holy Spirit—but rather than focusing on theological abstractions or worldly cynicism, he carefully evaluates the church in its scriptural, historical, theological, and social contexts. Both sociologically honest and theologically discerning, Flawed Church, Faithful God offers a constructive Reformed yet ecumenical ecclesiology for the real world.
REVIEWS
Darrell Guder
— Princeton Theological Seminary
“In this magisterial volume Joseph Small draws together decades of thought, study, teaching, preaching, writing, and consulting on the theology and practice of the church. Powerfully relevant for today’s challenges, Flawed Church, Faithful God offers an ecclesiology that is wise, concrete, and hopeful.”
John Burgess
— Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
“This is a book of immense ecclesial wisdom; its language is elegant and precise. Small is remarkably honest about the deep failures of the North American church today but also relentlessly hopeful in the God who is at work in human weakness. I know of no other book that so compellingly weaves together such a wide array of insights from Scripture, the church’s great historical traditions, contemporary novels and theological works, and the extensive experience of a gifted pastor, denominational leader, and ecumenical conversation partner.”
Theology
“This is an excellent and original addition to the contemporary library of books on ecclesiology.”
The Expository Times
“A deeply theological yet accessible account of Reformed ecclesiology that wrestles with the discontinuity between the theologically ideal church and its concrete reality in North American society.”