The church as a form of community -- The church as sacred assembly -- The origin of the church -- The church and the kingdom of God -- Models of the church -- A biblical image of the church : Jesus, little flock -- More biblical images : people of God and body of Christ -- An image from three North African theologians -- Introduction to the essential attributes or marks of the church -- The unity of the church -- The holiness of the church -- The church's Catholic character -- A church that is Apostolic -- The church is a communion -- Its mission and ministries -- The church's mission : its origin and goals -- The home mission : biblical portraits -- The foreign mission : Paul's inculturation of the Gospel -- The church's mission and other religions -- Relations between church and state -- Introduction to the concept of ministry -- The ordering of Christian ministries -- Promotion to ministry -- Priestly ministry -- Diaconal ministry -- The petrine ministry -- The teaching ministry -- Women and ministry -- The ministry of the vowed or consecrated life.
In concise chapters and 2 appendices, this book acquaints the reader with such basic concepts as biblical images of the Church, contemporary models of the Church, the classical "marks" of the Church, etc. Here too are explanations of the mission of the Church, its origin and aim, and the peculiar dynamics of the home and foreign missions. The origin and development of the Church's historic ministries of bishop, priest, deacon, religious orders and lay ministry are set forth. There are also chapters on the history and theology of Church/State relations, the Church's relationship to the kingdom of God and other religions, the concept of the Church as a communion, and such disputed questions as the origin of the Church, and the history of women and ministry among others. Each chapter concludes with suggestions for further reading. The author, a Catholic priest and theologian, is sensitive to the ecumenical dimension of these themes, and thus considers the witness of the entire Christian tradition, Protestant and Orthodox as well a Catholic.