Images of the Church

by John Driver

Book Overview

Available as a print on demand title shipping within two to three days.

The Bible shows that the very existence of the church is grounded in God's saving mission. The church is a visible demonstration of the reign of God, his "experimental plot" in the midst of history, pointing toward the restoration of all things.

Driver offers studies of 12 biblical images for understanding the church. They steer us toward a church more in harmony...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0836190580
• ISBN13: 9780836190588
• Release Date: June 1997
• Publisher: Herald Press (VA)
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.4" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

A Prophetic Wake-up Call

This wonderful volume is a jewel waiting to be discovered. I am amazed that so few people in my academic circles have heard of it, let alone read it. During our era of fascination with successful mega-churches, Driver sounds a prophetic call to the church to return to its authentic biblical identity as a people in mission. Driver's passion is shaped by his anabaptist roots and forty-five years of missionary ministry in Latin America. After tracing some of the ways the church has deviated from a biblical self-understanding throughout the course of history, Driver explores the images of Pilgrimage, New-Order, Peoplehood and Transformation. The primary unifying theme that emerges in all of his discussions is that of the church set up as "a contrast-society in the midst of the nations." Driver offers little hope for the reformation of society as a whole and downplays the social responsiblity of the church to the world. At the same time he calls the church to be a church of the poor, decidely rejecting violence and the pursuit of wealth. His extensive documentation of Scripture makes this not only a valuable text for a Bible study group but an excellent text for a course on Theology of the Church.