Christian Community in History Volume 1

<p>Drawing upon the methodology developed in his <i>Dynamics of Theology</i> (1990) and exemplified in <i>Jesus Symbol of God</i> (1999) Roger Haight in this magisterial work achieves what he calls an historical ecclesiology or ecclesiology from below. In contrast to traditional ecclesiology from above which is abstract idealist and ahistorical ecclesiology from below is concrete realist and historically conscious. <p/> In this first of two volumes Haight charts the history of the church's self-understandings from the origins of the church in the Jesus movement to the late Middle Ages. In volume 2 Haight develops a comparative ecclesiology based on the history and diverse theologies of the worldwide Christian movement from the Reformation to the present. While the ultimate focus of the work falls on the structure of the church and its theological self-understanding it tries to be faithful to the historical social and political reality of the church in each period.</p>