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The Disorder of (the Doctrine of) the Church

The Disorder of (the Doctrine of) the Church

Andres S. TANG

This paper begins with the otherness of the church which requires reflection on the disorder of the church. Employing John Webster's theological criticism of the deistical understanding of the nature of the Holy Scripture, the author gives a theological analysis of the deistical phenomenal happening in the understanding and practice of the church. With the help of Colin Gunton's theological discussion of the church, two kinds of disorder of the church are identified. One is normal deistical understanding of the nature of the church while the other is abnormal. The former treats the relationship of the triune God and the church as insufficiently close, in which the triune God merely acts as a remote initiator of the church. The latter brings the triune God too close to the church to the extent that God the Spirit is wholly immanent in the church here and now, and nothing remains for the not-yet future of the Kingdom of God. Three cases are discussed theologically to illustrate the deistical disorder of (the church?) the church.

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Message from the Editor of Issue 48

Editor's Note: Wu Guojie Since the outbreak of the new coronavirus, the number of people infected worldwide has exceeded 250 million, and the number of deaths has exceeded 5 million. This number does not include poor third-world countries with weak testing capabilities and inability to determine the cause of death. Due to the epidemic, the lives, economy, and travel of people around the world have been affected to varying degrees; for example, people have to wear masks when going out, maintain social distance, the number of gatherings is limited, quarantine is required when entering the country, travel has been greatly reduced, related industries have laid off employees, and unemployment has Rates thus increase and so on. In this environment, church gatherings have also been affected to a considerable extent. During the period when the epidemic was severe and gatherings were restricted, physical church gatherings were suspended, and online live broadcasts and video conversations became necessary alternative modes; even if the epidemic eased and physical gatherings reopened, online Synchronization has also become the new normal. In the face of this disaster, which is called the "pandemic of the century," what resources does the Christian faith have that can help the church respond and turn the crisis into an opportunity? This issue of "Sandow Journal" takes "Epidemics and Disasters" as the theme, and brings together different scholars to discuss it from the perspectives of the two Testaments, doctrinal theology, and practical theology, hoping to enlighten modern Christians on how to deal with the challenges of this era. ...