Author: Administrator
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The Best of Times and the Worst of Times for Religion, Especially Christian Faith
From the Publisher’s Note: […] John Leith has long been one of this church’s most significant theological voices. He is a learned thinker sho has also served as a pastor and who has devoted himself throughout his career to building up the church through the training of clergy and through his penetrating theological reflections. […]
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Committed Conversation
Three essays: “Church Fears”, “Body Language” and “A Grammar of Committed Conversation.” These offer an analysis of the current divisions in the church and an ecclesially faithful way to talk about these divisions.
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The Crucified One Is Lord
How shall Christians confess their faith in the midst of people whose beliefs are different? What is the shape of the faith that Christians confess? What should be the church’s stance toward other faith traditions? The Office of Theology and Worship wishes to contribute to the church’s consideration of the issue by making available to…
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Rebuilding The Presbyterian Establishment
Have we structured our life together in a way that serves our best aspirations? Do the current institutional arrangements of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) help us flourish? Of the many things we carry with us from previous generations of Presbyterians, do they all continue to work well – or is it time for some of…
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The History Of The Presbyterian Church
Sketches the life of John Calvin. Shows how Presbyterianism spread throughout Europe, and depicts three centuries of church growth in America, including reunification.
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The Shape Of Pastoral Ministry
Occasional Paper #13 reprints two significant essays that are no longer readily available. “The Maceration of the Minister” by the late Lutheran theologian Joseph Sittler is an incisive, sympathetic analysis of the plight of ministers. “The Teaching Authority of the Minister in the Reformed Tradition: A Contemporary Proposal” by Richard R. Osmer, the Thomas W.…
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Ordination And Authority
As Presbyterians we find ourselves in a place of enduring contention as to who should be ordained without a clear conception of why we should be ordaining anyone. And if we are unsure of the nature of ordained ministry, we certainly will be unclear as to how the ordained exercise authority. Because we live in…
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Bearing With One Another
The author goes to the sources, exploring impulses to unity within the reformed tradition. Dr. Sorge’s reading of Calvin, set within the context of Ephesians 4, shows that concern for theological integrity and commitment to the church’s unity are not at odds. To the contrary, it is theological integrity that is the ground for preserving…
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Identity, Polity, Praxis
In this essay Paul Hooker Hooker calls us to hear and respond to the questions we face in this time of intense transition — starting with one of the most basic questions: “who are we called to be?†Hooker points to resources we have at hand to help us formulate strong answers to that question.
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Bearing The Marks Of The Church
Who or what is the church? By what stars shall we navigate as we seek to be the church here and now? The three essays gathered in “Bearing the Marks of the Church” use Nicene marks of the church – one, holy, catholic, apostolic – as navigation points as we seek to be the church now…
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Peace, Unity, and Purity?
From the Publisher’s Note: The Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church was created by the 213th General Assembly (2001) in a denominational context of polarization.… In the pages that follow, you are invited to engage this process of consideration via the ruminations of three leaders of the church. It is my hope that these…
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Core Values: Creating the Culture of a New Congregation
From the Introduction: A new church begins with a dream. Whether it begins with a presbytery commission or a group of residents, somewhere the dream is born. As the dream matures and starts to take shape, a pastor is called and charged with the responsibility of developing a handful of people into that dream church.…