Theology of the Church - Test 1 (Goheen)

Describe the post-enlightenment church and influence of consumerism on the church.

"When the church takes up the role assigned it within a consumer culture and allows itself to be shaped by that story, it becomes merely a vendor of religious goods and services."

What is the central image in Scripture to define the relationship of God with his people? #16

-"Covenant is perhaps the central image of Scripture used to define the relationship of God with his people." -The covenant made a lot of sense to the people of that time because it was a very common practice for that time period. -Israel owed her allegiance to God alone.

What story is told in Genesis 1-11?

-"Genesis 1-11 tells the story of God's creation of the world, of human rebellion, of the ominous crescendo of sin as it spreads across the whole earth, of God's response to sin in judgement, and of God's promise and commitment to preserve and restore the creation." These characteristics set the context for the promise God gives to Abraham 1) Creation-fall-restoration storyline: God's promise to Abraham is the renewed form of his promise to restore creation. 2) Universal scope of God's purpose and works: the one true God is Lord over all creation. His redemptive plan is for all peoples. His particular focus on Abraham and Israel is for the sake of all the nations. 3) Escalating consequences of sin: Genesis 3-11 shows the dark origin of sin and displays all the bad - the curse and the alienation that humankind experiences. God promises to Abraham to restore the blessing and harmony of Creation.

Be able to describe this (#16) in terms of what Israel was to be and do

-"Priestly kingdom - what priests are for a people, Israel as a people is for the world." -"Holy nation - the lives of Israel's people are to be markedly different from those of the peoples around them...as a holy nation they are to live as a model or paradigm before the world of what God intends for all." (page 39)

Why is a missional identity so important for one's understanding of ecclesiology?

-"missional" describes not a specific activity of the church but the very essence and identity of the church as it takes up its role in God's story in the context of its culture and participates in God's mission to the world. -reminds the church that it is to be oriented towards the world

Review the New Testament images of the missional church in chapter 7

-Church as the "people of God" --- this serves to connect the church to Israel -"new creation imagery" - mingling of the Old Age and New Age -Church as the "body of Christ" --- expresses the close relationship and communion that exists between Christ and the church..."To be in Christ is to participate in what he has accomplished: 'Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the Old has gone, the new is here!'" -Church as the "temple of the Holy Spirit" ---the church is both an instrument of the Spirit's mission and the provisional result of that mission -Diaspora ---the church is to be involved in culture, but also maintain a counter-cultural identity free from the twisting power of sin

What is the ultimate purpose of election (being chosen by God)?

-Election is for the sake of mission: "I have chosen him....SO that." -God intends that the entire creation and all human life and culture might through Abraham become "very good" once again.

How was Jesus working to gather and restore Israel to its mission?

-For Israel to be a light to the nations, two things must take place: first, Israel must be gathered into a community, and then its people must be renewed to live in obedience to God's Torah. In the mission of Jesus, Israel is being restored to its original calling to be a light to the nations. -Jesus's task is in keeping with the prophetic promise that begins with the gathering and conversion of the Jews

Why is ecclesiology so important?

-God chose and formed a community to embody his work of healing in the midst of human history -A community that exists to bring others into manifesting the knowledge of God, the joy, righteousness, justice, and peace of the new creation. -"The words and actions, the very lives and communal life of Jesus's followers are to say 'We are the preview of a new day, a new world."

How did Jesus' gathered Israel differ from Israel of the Old Testament?

-God gave the OT Israel the law and prophets as a pattern of life in order to be an exemplary community. NT Israel was empowered by the Spirit and sent into the midst of cultures all over the world. -The crucifixion of Jesus was the decisive act that formed Israel into a new society of people -In the OT Israel community, we see the beginnings of the sort of world God had originally intended in creation being modeled. In Jesus' gathered Israel we see the model of God's new coming world.

How were God's laws to function is this context? (of a contrast people)

-Israel's life is to be distinctive as it embodies God's decrees and laws - the Torah given from the loving heart of the Father not to restrict his people's lives, but to lead them to the abundant life God intended for all humanity in creation - the life that he will restore in the New Creation. -The Lord is the only true God; Israel's life in obedience to his law is to demonstrate this fundamental reality to the nations

What is the distinctive way of life to which the followers of Jesus were called?

-Jesus's instruction to his disciples are threefold: eschatology, community, and mission. -Eschatological- "The lives of Jesus's followers are to be signs of the kingdom, of the healing and liberating power of God breaking through into history." -Communal- "Jesus's ethic is not directed to isolated individuals" -Missional- "God's people are called to be a light to others outside the community"

What is the meaning of mission in the OT?

-Mission in the OT is committed participation as God's people, at God's invitation and command, in God's own mission within the history of the world for the redemption of God's creation -Mission is about being...it is about being a distinctive kind of people, a countercultural community among the nations

What does the life and teaching of Jesus have to do with God's intended shalom?

-Most of Jesus' words and actions pertain to the healing of human life; in Him, God is restoring human life to its intended shalom. -Precisely to the degree that the people of God let itself be grasped by God's rule, it would be transformed- in all dimensions of its existence. -When human life is restored by God's grace, it always stands in contrast to the life of a society shaped by another faith-and no human society exists whose way of life is not so shaped.

What was Goheen's point with Lennon's Imagine song? Why didn't it "stick?"

-No matter how beautiful/peaceful a dream or vision may seem, it cannot be realized without the Lord being present. -"The problem is that injustice and selfishness are lodged deeply in the inner recesses of the human heart." -This did not stick because any attempt to achieve peace and prosperity through dreams and good intentions without a community and moral framework, is destined to fail.

Be prepared to comment on Goheen's depiction of a church that understands its cultural context (p.211).

-On the one hand, a countercultural community that stands against the spiritual currents of death in its culture...AND a relevant community in touch with the creational currents of life, embracing and celebrating them -the Western church has "failed to realize how radical is the contradiction between the Christian vision and the assumptions that we breathe in from every part of our shared existence." The more deeply this tension is felt, the more faithful and healthy the church will be, and better prepared for its missionary encounter.

How did the Cartesian revolution influence the church?

-Since the gospel could not be proved by the scientific community, it was largely "relegated to the netherworld of mere private values, subjective opinions, and personal preferences." -The Cartesian view made the claim that the gospel should not be taken seriously and had no place in shaping public life/opinion. -This led to the church being seen as a collection of individuals and their personal beliefs rather than a true missional community.

What can we learn from the period of the exile, subjugation, and diaspora about God's missional intent?

-Suffering is a characteristic of a faithful missional community. -Assimilation vs withdrawal

What are the implications of the resurrection for the church and its mission?

-The church needs to see the cross take it rightful place in the story of Jesus' earthly ministry, his announcement of the Kingdom, and- most importantly for our purpose- the central feature of Jesus' Kingdom mission: to gather a people. -The crucifixion in its fullness reveals and accomplishes the end of universal history and the renewal of the entire cosmos, but is too often presented merely as a way for individuals to achieve eternal salvation.

What was the identity of the early church in relationship with their culture?

-The early church defined themselves as "resident aliens"...a unique people in the midst of its cultural context. -The exemplary moral lives of ordinary Christians stood out against the rampant immorality of Rome. Christians' hope, joy, and confidence shone brightly in the midst of the despair, anxiety, and uncertainty that characterized a crumbling empire

A king? Why and what happened?

-The end of Judges ends with a cry for a king...in order to deal with the threats that faced Israel -The new institution of a monarchy was to allow Israel the independence and space to fashion itself into a people that reflect God's social order, to live as a united nation with all areas of its life submitted to God's Torah -Instead, Israel wanted to be like the other nations- precisely what God has called Israel not to be.

The arrival of the kingdom? What does Goheen identify as "kingdom?"

-The kingdom as an "already-not yet" concept -The kingdom as a dynamic power at work among men is the heart of Jesus's proclamation and the key to his entire mission -The kingdom is power: God's power in Jesus and by the Holy Spirit to overturn the reign of evil in the world

What does it mean that Israel was to be a "contrast people" for God?

-The message of Israel's corporate life was to be "this is where history is going- come and join us." -Thus the "visibility of Israel was part of its theological identity and role as the priesthood of Yahweh among the nations".

What role should the Abrahamic Promise have in our understanding of mission?

-The nation of Israel was to be a display people, embodying in its communal life God's original creational intention and eschatological goal for humanity. -Mission is about being a distinct type of people. Israel is to be a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. God will pursue His purpose for all creation through Israel, first making Abraham into a great nation and then blessing all nations and all creation through that nation.

Be able to discuss Jesus in relation to God's plan to gather an eschatological people.

-The only significance of the whole of Jesus' activity is to gather the eschatological people of God. In the words and deeds of Jesus, the liberating and healing power of God becomes present in history by the Holy Spirit. -With the coming of Jesus, the promised gathering of God's eschatological people begins

What was the prophet promise of hope for Israel?

-The prophet's promise of hope is that Israel will once again be gathered in the future. -This eschatalogical concept is often lost/ignored in Old Testament theology, but the promise of gathering is present throughout the story that God has orchestrated. -In the last days, Israel will be assembled and reconstituted..."then the restored, gathered, and purified Israel will fulfill its vocation to be a light to the nations."

What happened to the church under the reign of Theodosius? What was the result?

-Theodosius made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. -This drastically shifted the significance of the Christian faith from the minority to the dominant. "Those who had once identified themselves as resident aliens in a pagan environment were now members of an established church in a professedly Christian state." -The result: Many Christians forgot their "unique story and identity" due to the new social location and benefits of Christianity.

How is the church to reflect this (#27) in its words, deeds, and prayers?

-Thus, words and deeds are one of the most prominent ways that the kingdom spreads. Not military power or force, but words and deeds. -"such weak instruments can be effective only if God acts through them." This is where the importance of prayer can be seen. -"Prayer is the means by which the Spirit makes the actions and words of Jesus and the disciples effectual. It is the primary weapon in the battle between the kingdom of God and the sinful and demonic powers that still hold sway in human society and life."

Be able to discuss the church's mission in Acts

-continuation of the mission of Jesus -"witness defines the role of this community in this era of God's story and thus defines its very existence -"God had chosen Israel to be a blessing to all nations, and the centrifugal movement of Acts marks the beginning of the process by which that blessing is to be fulfilled -A community that participates in the mission through the work of the Spirit -community that held fast to the Word of God, fellowship, the Lord's Supper, and prayer -eventually move beyond Jerusalem to all nations

What story of redemption and formation does Exodus tell?

-redemption could involve the liberation of a relative from slavery and his or her restoration to the original family relationship. This seems to be the primary meaning of God's liberating work in Exodus: as the divine Redeemer, God acts to free his firstborn son from slavery to the pharaoh, restoring him to his rightful place in God's family. The redemption of a son "contains the essence of the meaning of the entire exodus story."

How did the Enlightenment influence the church?

-the Enlightenment emerged to offer an alternative vision of public life based on a rationalistic humanism, and the Christian faith began to move from the center of public life to the private margins." -From the Enlightenment onward, the church's role in Western culture contracted steadily until it functioned merely as culture's chaplain, caring for the religious needs of individuals and giving private instruction in matters of morality. But it no longer exercised cultural influence on a grand scale."

Be able to identify and explain the three problems of "the cross and the church."

1) Giving scant attention to the narrative contexts of the crucifixion account 2) De-emphasizing the communal and cosmic significance of the atonement 3) Neglecting the message of the transforming power of the cross

Review the landmarks by which help us in the pursuit of a missional ecclesiology.

1) The gospel must be accepted as the real story of the world...the one event in history on which the rest turns 2) God's purpose and activity to renew the entire creation and the whole of human life...the MISSION of God. -The church is to participate in this mission...to be caught up in God's work of restoration and healing 3) The coming of the kingdom of God -All of history is leading to this restoration...the church is the community that experiences God's restorative work in the midst of life 4) God works out his redemptive purposes by choosing a people to make known to all where history is leading. -Jesus "chooses, prepares, and commissions a community to make the goal of universal history known." 5) The chosen community is both the beginning of something new and the continuation of something much older. -The death and resurrection of Jesus is a turning point in history, but the connections to Israel are still there.