Church : An Introduction

What comes to mind when you think of the word church?

In this volume, Gregg R. Allison helps define the church and its mission by presenting an overview of the specific doctrines and practices of different churches and denominations. He lays a basic foundation for better understanding the common practices among local church communities (“mere ecclesiology”) and the ways that they diverge from one another (“more ecclesiology”). Through this systematic primer, you will come away knowing not only how various churches differ but also how they’re ultimately united as the body of Christ and the temple of the Holy Spirit.

• Part of the Short Studies in Systematic Theology series
• Offers clarity on what the church is and how it is to engage in the world
• Explores the principle tenets of church polity held by most churches throughout history
• Addresses several theological areas where churches differ, such as infant baptism and believer’s baptism; men and women in ministry; and spiritual gifts

Gregg R. Allison (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is professor of Christian theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is secretary of the Evangelical Theological Society, a book review editor for the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, an elder at Sojourn Community Church, and a theological strategist for Harbor Network. Allison has taught at several colleges and seminaries, including Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon, and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois, and is the author of numerous books, including Historical Theology; Sojourners and Strangers; and Roman Catholic Theology and Practice.

Graham A. Cole (ThD, Australian College of Theology) is emeritus dean and emeritus professor of biblical and systematic theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. An ordained Anglican minister, he has served in two parishes and was formerly the principal of Ridley College. Graham lives in Australia with his wife, Jules.

Oren R. Martin (PhD, Southern Seminary) serves as Equipping Pastor at Providence Church in Frisco, Texas, where he leads equipping, the Institute, and Ministry Residency. He also serves as associate professor of Christian theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of Bound for the Promised Land, coauthor of 40 Questions About Biblical Theology, and contributor to numerous works including Dictionary of the New Testament Use of the Old Testament; Progressive Covenantalism; A Handbook of Theology; and Confessing Christ.