Church and Mission Book Review #2

An Introduction to Ecclesiology by Veli-Matti Karkkainen

Veli-Matti Karkkainen teaches at Fuller Theological Seminary as associate professor of systematic theology who has written several books focusing on topics such as pneumatology and Christology as well as comparing and contrasting the theologies of major religions and Christian denominations.

In an Introduction to Ecclesiology Karkkainen seeks to “chart the waters of ecclesiology,” providing “an orientation for navigation (12).” Basically, he seeks to review the views of the major branches of Christianity as to what the church is and what constitutes the church and how those views play out in the present world. He does so by dividing the structure of his work into three sections.

Karkkainen’s first section addresses the official theologies of branches such as the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, Reformed churches, Free churches (such as Methodist, Baptist, and Presbyterian churches), Pentecostal churches, and that of the ecumenical movement. In Eastern Orthodox theology, he explains, the church is viewed as the icon of the Trinity. Roman Catholic theology, rather, views the church as the pilgrim people of God. Lutherans and Reformed churches view it very similarly as the communion of saints and as a covenant between humans and the divine, respectively. Free churches differ from their historical predecessors in their emphasis on the priesthood of all believers and consequently believe the church to be the fellowship of believers. Likewise, Pentecostals (despite their lack of a fully constructed theology of the church) experience the church as a fellowship of persons in the power of the Holy Spirit. Finally, Karkkainen ends with the view of the ecumenical movement of the church as a sharing of the reality of communion with Christ through the Holy Spirit.

Secondly, Karkkainen briefly discusses the ecclesiological viewpoints of a well-known theologian from each of these traditions (Orthodox theologian John Zizioulas, Catholic Hans Kung, Lutheran Wolfhart Pannenburg, Reformist Jurgen Moltmann, Pentecostal Miroslav Volf, Baptist James McClendon Jr., and Anglican Lesslie Newbigin) and how they see the enactment of their views in the present world.

In his final section, Karkkainen examines contextual ecclesiologies (that is, those of specific contexts that are not necessarily specific to a particular branch or denomination of Christianity). He discusses the views of the non-church movement in Asia, which rejects the institutional church altogether, and then goes on to the liberation theology of Latin America and its views of the church as being birthed from the community and the living out of inclusive community life (183). Subsequently, Karkkainen examines feminist theology, which focuses mainly on equality in power, authority and ministry, and African Independent churches, with their uniquely African stress on the communal aspects of the church. The former Shepherding Movement, which emphasized the need for personal one-on-one discipleship and the role of the pastor as a shepherd, is explained as well as the world church movement and its enactment of the church as a sacramental ministry, bringing the world closer to the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God. Karkkainen concludes by discussing the post-modern church, which believes itself to be “another city (223)” whose purpose is to be an “alternative community ready to challenge prevailing assumptions (223)” about ways of living.

Altogether, Karkkainen’s orderly presentation is comprehensive enough to satisfy the demands of any knowledgeable theologian, yet simple enough for any layperson to understand and enjoy. Additionally, he looks beyond the narrow focus of denominational systematic theologies, their current praxis, or even how inter-denominational dialogue has affected them, but also discusses ecclesiologies that cross denominational lines and are more connected to the specific context of the church and its particular individuals. As such, Karkkainen presents a truly inclusive and in depth look at the traditional and forming theologies of the church in our time.