The Community of the King

by Howard A. Snyder

A classic revisited--revised and expanded. For over twenty-five years, Howard Snyder's Community of the King has set the standard for a penetrating look at the relationship between the kingdom of God and the earthly church. Biblically and practically Snyder helps us think through such crucial questions as What is the kingdom of God? What role does it play in history? What does it mean for the church to be an agent of the kingdom? Once we grasp the nature of the kingdom, Snyder helps us explore its implications for the church as we experience it in daily life. The church, he argues, is part of God's dramatic plan to reconcile all things to himself. The church that is true to its calling will emphasize the God-given gifts of all its members and develop structures and strategies that reflect God's reign in the world. In addition to a completely new chapter on developments in Christian thinking on the church since its first publication, this new edition of Community of the King contains a fully updated bibliography and is revised throughout. Here is a classic book for all concerned with church life and growth.

Genres: Theology, Church, Ecclesiology, Christian, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Christianity

216 pages, Paperback

First published June 27, 1977

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.

Reviews

[Jack Jewett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book connected ideas of the kingdom of God, true discipleship, relational investment, and Biblical truth and precedent in ways that stunned me and have shaped my ecclesiology, soteriology, and theology of Christian sanctification. Crucial book!

[LAMONT D · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought my copy of this book back during my seminary days in the early 90's. I read it back then and I believe initially I was interested in the particular subject of parachurch organizations and how they fit into God's church and the Great Commission. It appears according to Goodreads that a new edition of Community of the King contains a fully updated bibliography and is revised throughout. My copy that I reread was from 1977 so quite dated to some degree but in it there is still a good discussion of the church and how it should be organized and present itself to the world. I think the discussion of the various gifts mentioned in the New Testament is still a relevant topic. As he states: "God provides for leadership in the Church through the exercise of the gifts of the Spirit." A couple questions from years ago were 1) How do we know if God is doing the raising up of the leaders in the church? 2) How do we know if they are genuine? At the time I was working with Child Evangelism Fellowship and my thought from the book for that parachurch organization was: "Evangelism, regardless of the agency which sponsors it, is legitimate only as it plants and edifies the Church or extends its witness." A decent read though not one I would readily recommend to anyone.

[Dennis Henn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published in 1977 then updated in 2004, this book is perhaps even more relevant now in its assessment of what it means to be church and not simply go to church. Snyder was prescient about what ails the church, with its emphasis on buildings, individualism, an over-reliance on sermons, and once-weekly meetings. He challenges Christians to live in community, to move away from a laity/ordained status, to start cell groups that lead to new churches. Radical stuff. He warns about nationalism and politicking, issues that plague the church more today than when Snyder originally wrote.
The book was a bit uneven. Some sections were 5s, other sections 2s or 3s. The good outweighs the bleh.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't get enough of Howard Snyder's work these days. His perspective on the church is a breath of fresh air. This book is more theoretical than The Problem of Wineskins, but it issues a deep challenge to the facil notions of community we often content ourselves with in the modern church.

[Fernando Retana · Rating 5 out of 5]

La Iglesia debe de ser tanto evangelista como profética. Mientras que la evangelización es el anuncio de la salvación presente, la profecía es el anuncio del juicio. La evangelización del en el NT se caracteriza por ser principalmente una que se enfoca en el testimonio. A pesar de que este tipo de evangelización es la que predomina en el NT la persuasión es un elemento vital en el proceso del crecimiento de la Iglesia. En el proceso de evangelización debe de haber presencia, proclamación, persuasión y luego una propagación del evangelio entre los que fueron evangelizados. La Iglesia es tanto una comunidad reconciliada como reconciliadora.

Como todo ser vivo, la Iglesia, si es que está viva, naturalmente tiene que crecer. Es importante recordar que el crecimiento de la Iglesia no es sinónimo de un crecimiento del Reino. Jesús predicó más acerca de la venida y expansión del Reino que del crecimiento de la Iglesia.

En cuanto a su estructura, una Iglesia sana debe de ser una que “promueva la comunidad, que edifiquen a los discípulos y mantengan el testimonio”. La iglesia debe de ser: bíblicamente válida, culturalmente viable y temporalmente flexible. Aunque en la Biblia no hay una enseñanza formal en cuanto a las estructuras de la Iglesia sí que propone ciertas prácticas que la Iglesia debe de ejercer tales como: adoración, comunidad, liderazgo, nutrición y testimonio.

También, debe de tener una especial preocupación por la unidad de la Iglesia, ya que esta es la expresión del Evangelio mismo. La Iglesia debe ser evangélica en que se basa en el evangelio bíblico y sus requerimientos para el testimonio y discipulado; y la Iglesia debe de ser también católica, preocupada por la unidad, universalidad y santidad de la Iglesia.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some thoughts to ponder, but I am not totally convinced by all of Snyder's thinking, which are rather along the lines of Yoder, with whom I often disagree. But books are to make us think, to challenge us, so I liked it even though I didn't totally agree with it all. The part I found most useful was his thinking on The Kingdom. I don't reach all of the same conclusions with his thinking on the local church.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book 20 years ago and I still refer to it.

[A. Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you don't know why church works like it does--or how it should "work" better -- I recommend this.
Realistic yet biblical. Imagine...