Review: The Church

The Church by Edmund P. Clowney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Clowney writes with a brevity brought about after organising and summarising a lifetime of dutiful study and careful reflection into this book. He provides an engaging read and could not be boring even if he tried; chapter after chapter, he continually captured my attention and interest. I note that he did not resort to bombastic theological jargon and as a result, a topic that is usually exclusively the debate among scholars and experts (i.e. Ecclesiology), is kept accessible to the clergy and layperson. As Clowney rightly points, "this [~300 page] book can only provide a brief survey ... [and] remind us of our Lord's teaching about his church so that by his Word and Spirit he may renew and direct us into a new century, until he comes." (p25)

The chapters are laid out in an easy to follow, systematic format of various (often weighty and controversial) topics encompassing the church laid out in bite-sized easily-digestible chunks. A brief outline of the book's contents would be as follows:
-biblical theology in chapters 2-5 (the church as the people of God, disciples of Christ and as the fellowship of the Holy Spirit)
-the attributes and of the church in chapters 6-7 (apostolic, one, holy and catholic) and its marks in chapter 8
-ministry of the church in chapters 9-13 (worship, nurture, mission and in relation to the world's cultures and its governments)
-structure of the church in chapter 14
-much debated topics in chapters 15-17 (women in ministry, charismatic gifts of tongues and prophecy)
-sacraments in chapter 18

He methodically brings us through a chronological journey through Scripture and church history, with an eye always on a biblical-theological framework and clear, insightful observations of both theology and culture. I appreciate how he lays out facts in a partial (not slanted toward a denomination) and matter-of-fact manner that confronts, challenges and causes us to reconsider our theological assumptions/presuppositions. I thoroughly enjoyed how he, as an elder statesman, held his strong convictions/conclusions in tension with the enormous amounts of grace (and ecumenical love) he displayed to those with whom he disagreed with.

I hail from almost a polar opposite theological background from Clowney, and yet I find that I disagree with him only one major matter - whether signs and wonders have ceased or are still continuing through the ministry of the saints today. I wonder whether he had the opportunity to befriend some charismatics/pentecostals/third wavers who have had an active ministry characterised by supernatural deliverance/healing. Also, I found his lack of a clear position of women in ministry a little disappointing - from what I understand, he appears to affirm the service of women in any position that does not involve a ruling function. But I would have preferred if he was more explicit in stating his position rather than ending the chapter with a dichotomous conundrum and a rhetorical question. If this book were ever revised, a helpful improvement would be the addition of questions at the end of every chapter to aid discussion and reflection.

Chapters 2-5 are textbook examples of concise and yet rich theological reflection - I felt they were worth the price of the book by themselves. The structure of the church (Chapter 14) is similarly enjoyable - being a wonderful mix of biblical theology, church history, the real-life application of what Scripture says and how our differing interpretations represent themselves in varying church models; I have always found the topic tedious and monotonous but Clowney's writing was highly informative and engaging.

p.s. I confess that I was skeptical in reading the forward and discovering that Clowney enlisted the services of his daughter Rebecca Clowney-Jones as editor, because of my past encounter with the very average How Jesus Transforms The Ten Commandments that was also edited by her (I found it to lack Clowney's usually clear, thoughtful theological reflection and precise illustrations; perhaps she had to use a heavy editor's hand, given his battle with illness). Thankfully, this work was completed when he was still in good health (published 10 years before his death) and typifies Clowney's usual high standards.

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