Emerging Perspectives in Ecclesiology

Students who attend classes in ecclesiology (the study of the Church) deepen their understanding of the Church, its history, theology, and the challenges it must face in a changing world.

Newbold offers a module in Emerging Perspectives in Ecclesiology, which gives MA students the chance to learn about the most significant concepts to emerge from modern ecclesiology. It is an exciting opportunity for our students to journey together towards sharpening their ecclesiological lenses and learn what it means to be a church of and for the 21st-century world.

Set against the context of an unsettling and era-defining period of the Covid-19 pandemic, we use the current global crisis to explore propositions, opportunities, and tensions evident in ecclesiological discussions within the Adventist Church. We equip students with intellectual tools to engage competently in the ongoing theological conversations on issues surrounding the Church’s ministry, mission, structure, ordinances, ordination, and reform.

Adventism’s rapid territorial expansion and membership growth have brought along various internal and external tensions. Increasingly, the denomination has been challenged to:

1. retain its unity, which has been threatened from within by theological polarisation,
2. to maintain its relevance in a world that has changed significantly since the inception of the movement,
3. to clarify its interaction with other Christian and non-Christian communities.

It became clear that these concerns need to be addressed constructively if the movement is to survive in the 21st century. Hence, the need for a deeper and more comprehensive ecclesiological engagement.

Upon finishing this module, students will have a clearer idea of what it means to be a church in the present-day world. This will provide a theological framework for their future ministry within the church setting.