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The Church of Christ: Volume One
"I do heartily encourage you to re-publish this unique work by James Bannerman on 'The Church of Christ.' Especially in our day of great ignorance about the subject of the authority of the Church, this volume is inestimable. It bears close study by elders, seminarians (and seminaries!), and by all others who sincerely desire to honor Christ, the only King and Head of the Church." -Pastor Bill Shishko, "James Bannerman's 'The Church of Christ' is the most extensive, standard, solid, Reformed treatment of the doctrine of the church that has ever been written. It is indisputably the classic in its field. Every minister and elder should own a copy, and church members would also be much better informed if they perused it carefully. How many church problems would be alleviated if churches used Bannerman as their primary textbook for their understanding of what the church is and for their modus operandi! - Joel R. Beeke
- GenresTheologyEcclesiology
498 pages, Paperback
First published September 22, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 20, 2019
The first volume of what seems to be a very good book on ecclesiology. The sections on the being-well being distinction, church-state relations, worship, and holy days are particularly strong. My only major criticism is that the author has a tendency to be unfair in his criticisms of the Church of England and the 39 Articles. Nonetheless, James Bannerman is more balanced than those who advocate the sort of Sectario-Presbyterianism that you find among the more radical Covenanters and Seceders post-1660. He is also very balanced in his approach to the subject of prescribed prayers, recognising that written prayers are helpful in many circumstances, but warning against a slavish requirement to use them.
Two other points worth noting: first, he agrees with the later RP view on the mediatorial kingship of Christ over the state; second, he correctly highlights the judiciousness of the Westminster Confession in recognising that the profession of the true religion is the only absolute mark of the church. While the Westminster Standards do not differ in substance from the two/three marks listed in the earlier confessions, they guard against the exploitation of that sort of language by schismatics.
It is also worth acknowledging that the Free Church worthies of this era, of which Bannerman was one, had a remarkably good style of writing. Perhaps that was one of the few positive things to come out of Romanticism?
Two other points worth noting: first, he agrees with the later RP view on the mediatorial kingship of Christ over the state; second, he correctly highlights the judiciousness of the Westminster Confession in recognising that the profession of the true religion is the only absolute mark of the church. While the Westminster Standards do not differ in substance from the two/three marks listed in the earlier confessions, they guard against the exploitation of that sort of language by schismatics.
It is also worth acknowledging that the Free Church worthies of this era, of which Bannerman was one, had a remarkably good style of writing. Perhaps that was one of the few positive things to come out of Romanticism?
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April 22, 2013Recommended by Alpha & Omega Ministries
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews