Decoding the Church: Mapping the DNA of Christ's Body

While many models have been proposed for understanding the nature of the church, the primary biblical image is that of the body of Christ. Decoding the Church takes this organic metaphor and examines its DNA to find the key to church structure and mission. The authors suggest that the classical understanding of the church as defined by the Nicene Creed-one, holy, catholic, apostolic church-comprises only one strand of the church's DNA. They propose a more complex, living model for structuring the church and understanding its mission, and then explore how a biblically structured church can transform the world. Decoding the Church evaluates models based in hierarchy, psychology, and ecology, and stresses the biblical and contemporary reality of globalization. Includes discussion questions.

Howard A. Snyder (Ph.D., University of Notre Dame) is professor of history and theology of mission at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. He is the author of numerous books on church life, including The Problem of Wineskins. Daniel V. Runyon is professor of English at Spring Arbor University in Michigan and coauthor with Snyder of Foresight and The Divided Flame.