Church: What, Why, and for Whom? - Paperback

by Mark Sweetnam (Author)

Evangelicalism has produced a bewildering array of answers to the question "what should a church look like?" This book argues that the New Testament still provides the definitive answer to that question and to others that are just as important. Who is a church for? What does it do, and why? This book provides a careful, contextual examination of the key passages of Scripture that address the purpose, pattern, and practice of a New Testament church. It demonstrates from Scripture that each local church belongs to God and is for God. It considers a range of important subjects, including the Lord's Supper, headship, the exercise of gift and the earning of reward, and rule in the church. This book provides a lucid overview of a subject that must be of vital importance for every believer who wants to be where Christ is.

Author Biography

Mark Sweetnam is lecturer in English with digital humanities in the School of English, Trinity College Dublin. He is a member of the Trinity Centre for Biblical Studies and a fellow of the Royal Historical Society. His research interests lie in the areas of literature and theology (with a focus on the literature of the Reformation in England, Ireland, and Scotland) and the history of dispensationalism.