The Church

Contours of Christian Theology #4

by Edmund P. Clowney

At a time in which the very word church sounds a tone of dull irrelevance, the doctrine of the church has suffered the studied neglect of many Christian leaders. The persistent demands to market, manage and grow the church and to meet the felt needs of churched and unchurched all threaten to quench theological reflection on the abiding nature and mission of the church. But few activities bear greater promise as a starting point for renewing and reshaping the Christian church than the work of theology. In this book Edmund Clowney takes up that task, addressing along the way a variety of contemporary concerns: worship, mission, church and culture, church and state, church order and discipline, the ministry of women, baptism and the Lord's Supper, tongues and prophecy, signs and wonders. He draws on decades of thinking and teaching about the church as well as from his committed leadership and ministry within the church. Biblical, historical, systematic and Reformed, The Church is a timely and provocative reflection on the life, order and purpose of the household of God.

Genres: Theology, Ecclesiology, Church, Christian, Christianity, Religion, Reference

336 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1995

About the author

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he earned a Bachelor of Arts from Wheaton College in 1939, a Bachelor of Theology from Westminster Theological Seminary in 1942, a Master of Sacred Theology from Yale Divinity School in 1944, and a Doctor of Divinity from Wheaton College in 1966.

Reviews

[Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid overview of the various issues pertaining to the doctrine of the Church. Clowney is somewhat inconsistent in his verbosity -- some topics are probably over-discussed (thinking especially of chapters 12 and 17), while others could have used more discussion (such as the sacraments). There are places where political discussion distracts from the main point (though there are obviously other places where this was necessary). Overall, a worthwhile read.

[Victoria]

I finally was able to go back and finish the two chapters (9 & 18) I wasnt able to during the semester! This was a book read for class and I really enjoyed it! A bit hefty but still was great in furthering my doctrine of the church.

[Jimmy Reagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

By this point, I have used almost every volume in the Contours of Christian Theology series. All these volumes have run between good and great. They all are books to ponder after you’ve already consulted your systematic theologies. None of them are for shallow readers but are for those who are interested in really digging in the theology. This volume on the church by Edmund P. Clowney is one of those that fall on the “great” end of the scale. He has such probing, interesting things to say about the church and handles beautifully where ecclesiology touches on any of the other main doctrines.

There are 18 chapters that cover the church from every conceivable angle and address every theological issue I can imagine on ecclesiology. While I might not agree with a few statements here and there, this volume definitely leans to the conservative point of view. Just check his references and endnotes and see who he quotes. That will make it clear where his perspective comes from.

The beauty of the book was how he took very familiar concepts, exactly those concepts you would imagine you’d find in a book about the church, and said them in new ways that stretched your thinking. He wrote a book of scholarly depth and theological precision without sacrificing clear, persuasive writing. Concepts within ecclesiology are highly debated and rigidly held so there’s little hope that he will fall exactly where every reader does but don’t let that keep you at bay. You will work through all these issues in a much more thorough fashion with far more satisfying results if this book is one you carefully use. A well-done volume!

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

[Nathan Chattaway · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the third theology text I have read in this generally excellent series. It is not on par with the entries treating the Person of Christ or the Work of Christ, though a solid enough introduction to Reformed Church doctrine. It doesn't add much of note to Calvin's position in Institutes, beyond a treatment of where some modern Protestant denominations err, the differences between church and parachurch organisations and a pithy summary of the pitfalls of the Ecumenical urge. In other words, Clowney's new material mainly regards what the church isn't.

In the core pillars of this doctrine, we're in good hands with Clowney as he deftly leads us through the marks of a biblical church and the importance of ensuring these are present in any prospective congregation. Though he covers a lot of familiar ground it is laid out in a far more accessible manner than Calvin and his contemporaries. Clowney juggles the material well. And like they always say: when attacked by a mob of clowns - always go for the juggler.

[Bill Forgeard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clear, insightful and in many places quite profound. Because Clowney engages so well with contemporary cultural issues and theological debates (late 80s-early 90s), some sections are a little dated now.

[Shaun Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Dave Shulse · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an excellent topic and this is a topic that is so relevant to those who through faith in Christ by God's grace believe themselves to be members of Christ's body, the Church, but Clowney is far too wordy and indirect in his approach. I thought this book spent too much time being politically correct, circumventing strong topics and utilizing a vast array of sources from all over the spectrum of Christian writers and leaders.

I enjoy books that are direct and too the point rather than subtly persuasive, and Clowney's work is extremely complex and it doesn't need to be. Sometimes he would be bold and straight forth, but for the better part he is elusive, requiring reading and reading a section over and over again to figure out what he is driving at. His choice of vocabulary is way too academic and that not in a good sense, for there is still a number of us who believe education is best accomplished when the students can clearly understand the teacher, and not have to spend needless time trying to figure out what he/she is saying, only to be dissappointed that time could have been saved as it could have been demonstrated much more simply and forthright.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Clowney's book on the Church. One of the better books on Ecclesiology I have read. Clowney's perspective has a simplicity, charity, and clarity which I find lacking in the 9 marks community. I have appreciation for those who are die hard 9 marks people, but they tend to be caught up in an application of elements that seems to be more informed by the circumstances they find themselves in culturally, in time, and geographically.

As a credobaptist and one who is currently convinced of baptist polity there are things I naturally found lacking in this work. I find his treatment of baptism inconsistent throughout the book as he seems vacillate between the believers and infant baptism arguments.

Clowney's chapters on the structure of the Church, the Mission of the Church, and the Church in the World's Cultures were worth the price of the book for me.

He did a better job at outlining a a biblical missiology and structure for church planting in a few chapters than most modern missions/church planting books do in full length works. If these books even cover the biblical data at all which most do not.

[Reid · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a bad book, but not necessarily one I would broadly recommend. There are some really good thoughts in the early chapters, but I feel that it loses steam by the end.

In my opinion, the biggest flaw with this book is that Clowney seems overly dismissive of opposing viewpoints. He attempts to engage with opposing views, but does so haphazardly and without properly representing them. As a result, he often ends up arguing against straw men. Seeing as the scope of this book doesn’t allow him to adequately represent opposing views, I wish that he had just stuck to positively arguing his own positions. I understand why he chose to engage opposing viewpoints, but I don’t think he was successful in his efforts.

If you’re looking for a good, concise articulation of Reformed ecclesiology, this is a good place to start! Just take his criticisms of other perspectives (particularly his thoughts on the spiritual gifts) with a grain of salt.

[Joseph · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very reformed (appeals to John Calvin and the Westminster Confession a lot). Does a weak job of defending certain reformed positions (infant baptism, cessasionism). Also, it can be very dense and not always as straightforward as one would expect given the theme of the series. However, it does have some good biblical insight at times, and it is refreshing to hear a thoroughly reformed theologian unabashedly condemn things the the crusades and John Calvin's burning Michael Severtus at the stake (even though John Calvin is still appealed to probably more often than anything but the Bible).

[Jeremy Fritz · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Nathan White · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book at all. Clowney provides some very helpful material, Christ-centered exposition (rightly distinguishing law and gospel), and some particularly helpful treatment of Charismatic theology and Christ and culture issues (social issues).

However, for a book that claims to be part of the series 'contours of Christian theology', it wasn't very deep, theologically. And for a book that claims to be an introduction to the subject, it wasn't very readable. The book and even the chapters themselves lack cohesion, clear transitions, and a unified thesis. Furthermore, published in 1995, much of the issues Clowney addresses are now dated and somewhat irrelevant. Again, if it was truly a more theological treatment, that wouldn't be the case.

Most specifically, I was unconvinced at his argument for women deacons (very shallow, brief treatment that fails to address the real issues at hand). And of course, as a baptist, his standard-line defense of infant baptism is entirely inconsistent with statements he makes in every other chapter about the nature and definition of the church and the role of the Holy Spirit (which is Standard Operating Procedure for the Presbyterian defense of infant baptism). Even his definition of a sacrament, "a sign of sign of participation in saving grace" is inconsistent with his view of infant baptism when pressed to its logical conclusion.

Thus - there's some helpful chapters and material, but there's better places to go.

[Josiah Durfee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another one bites the dust, and I am happy to be done with this book. I do not recommend this book, I was unimpressed with his writing and the research is practically non-existent. Every time he touches on a new phrase he was using to explain the subsection, he goes into a full paragraph outlining the phrase, like stream of consciousness, and it was totally parenthetical and irrelevant to the subsection. He did this numerous times, making the book feel slow and he never strongly hit the arguments he was making. The subtitle is “Contours of Christian Theology,” but I didn’t think he would be dealing with it from the International Space Station. Concerning the problem of his research, his scriptural support looked more like ornaments on a Christmas tree than the objective basis for why church structure should look and act a certain way. I cannot say this book has contributed a lot to what I already knew, it was a lot of good review, but you might find it helpful. I think it was just bland, and safe, like virtual spelunking, if that’s a thing.

[Vincent Ng · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent well-articulated book from Edmund Clowney on the topic of the church. Clowney uses a logical flow that begins with the identity of the church moving to the purpose and the ministry of the church to the outworking of what it means to be a biblical church. Clowney uses a good amount of scripture, laid out systematically to develop the theology on the church. However, I do not share his view regarding infant baptism despite how well his points are presented. His view of baptism leans towards an initiation/naming ceremonial ordinance as opposed to considering one that focuses on the identification with Christ in his death and resurrection. The books' target audience includes pastors, seminary students, and those studying theology who are educated. Would recommend the book to some people

[Aaron Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book that casts a wide vision of what the church is biblically and how we are to respond and walk out within it. In addition the the macro view of the church, Clowney does a phenomenal job explaining the more micro aspects as well.

If you have questions about the universal church, local church, the church’s relationship with culture, and the church’s relationship with itself in denominations and differences this is for you.

This most surprising thing about the book to me is how well it has aged! It is still very relevant in its teaching and thoughts. There is much here to get lost in and salivate over as well as much to strive for and apply in our own local churches.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great single volume on the nature and function of the church. Clowney's writing is easily readable and written to a modern audience, from a covenantal perspective. I enjoyed particularly the chapters on the nature of the church and the chapter on its mission. He is also not afraid to tackle the question of the spiritual gifts and prophecy, and gives an interesting response to Grudem's work on the subject. I found his insights on the church's mission and its relationship to the world to be very insightful and the many Scripture references throughout made each chapter a systematic theology Bible study. Very useful on many topics, even for credobaptists like me.

[Tyler Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots I really appreciated in this book. Thinking about the work of the church as worship, nurture, and mission is a great paradigm. Really careful discussion regarding the distinction between office and general membership. Only critiques: he is a little heavy-handed with his homeschooling preferences, I wish there was more interaction between culture and how it impacts worship and the spiritual gifts chapter was completely devoted to interacting with Grudem which isn’t really representative of the modern Charismatic Movement.

[Neil Kruger · Rating 4 out of 5]

2021 reads: #10
Rating: 4 Stars

A very readable introduction to the doctrine of the church. The style of the book occasionally lends itself to not arguing for its positions persuasively.

There is plenty of engagement with Roman Catholic theology, the reality of parachurch organizations and the World Council of Churches which may indicate that its application is a product of its time.

Excellent chapters/sections on the holy character of the church, the interface between the regulative principle and cultural expression, women's ministry and spiritual gifts are all worth revisiting.

[Ryan Kiser · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a good book on Ecclesiology. The only real disagreement with Clowney is his view on the role of the church as it pertains to the government. While he does say that the Church has a prophetic voice, he essentially denies the role of the church to take dominion on this side of heaven. He is a Two Kingdoms proponent.

[Anthony Locke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Happy to read ecclesiology written by someone outside the 9Marks and Baptist camp. I found Clowney agreeable and helpful as he works through the major categories within ecclesiology: biblical theology, the mission of the church, relationship between church and state/culture, offices, and sacraments.

[Daniel Nelms · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read. A little dated since Clowney was so imbedded with the culture of his day, which has changed a bit. Nevertheless, a great "What is the Church 101" type of read, something I need to always revisit from time to time.

[Alex McEwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished this weeks ago and it’s just been sitting in “to be reviewed” pile. It was fine, but otherwise unimpressive. It would serve as a great introduction but isn’t a page turner by any means. Maybe I would have appreciated some historical analysis on how Presbys got to where we are today.

[Eric Yap · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Clowney is a sophisticated theologian, and this book covers a wide range of topics and engages well with multiple differing views. The organisation and flow of writing is a bit messy for me, but still a really enlightening and succinct book on Reformed eccelsiology.

[Sean McGowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good! Recommended reading.

[Michael Abraham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clowney provides a helpful introduction on ecclesiology, except for his arguments for an elder-ruled church government and infant baptism.

[Jared Beebe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book on the doctrine of the church. Clowney breaks down all of the major ecclesiological issues that the modern church does not give much priority too.

[Benjamin Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clowney is most helpful here in the last section of the book dealing with specific issues such as women's ordination or the continuation of the gifts of tongues and healing.

[Gage Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy read. Great content. We used it for Ecclesiology class. This will be one I go back and read at a slower pace to enjoy it.

[Tom James · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book on what the church is. As a Baptist, I wish that Clowney (a Presbyterian) had given a more thorough defense of Presbyterian polity, but he is writing for a general audience.

[Raphaël · Rating 5 out of 5]

Une lecture obligatoire pour le cours d’ecclesiologie