Decoding the Church: Mapping the DNA of Christ's Body

by Howard A. Snyder, Daniel V. Runyon

While many models have been proposed for understanding the nature of the church, the primary biblical image is that of the body of Christ. Decoding the Church takes this organic metaphor and examines its DNA to find the key to church structure and mission. The authors suggest that the classical understanding of the church as defined by the Nicene Creed-one, holy, catholic, apostolic church-comprises only one strand of the church's DNA. They propose a more complex, living model for structuring the church and understanding its mission, and then explore how a biblically structured church can transform the world. Decoding the Church evaluates models based in hierarchy, psychology, and ecology, and stresses the biblical and contemporary reality of globalization. Includes discussion questions.

Paperback

First published July 1, 2002

About the author

Howard A. Snyder serves as Professor of Wesley Studies, at Tyndale Seminary in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Previously he was Professor of the History and Theology of Mission in the E. Stanley Jones School of World Mission and Evangelism at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, 1996-2006. He has also taught at United Theological Seminary, Dayton, Ohio, and pastored in Chicago, Detroit, and São Paulo, Brazil.