The Gospel and the Catholic Church: Recapturing a Biblical Understanding of the Church as the Body of Christ

by Michael Ramsey

Overview

Michael Ramsey's modern classic The Gospel and the Catholic Church is as relevant today as it was when it was first published some 70 years ago. In it, Ramsey understands the church as a reflection the death and resurrection of Christ, and then argues that the various expressions of Christianity today each express their own gifts in accordance with the Resurrection, whether they are Catholic, Protestant/Evangelical, Eastern, or Anglican. A rewarding read for whomever undertakes it, this book will broaden your view of the church, and deepen your appreciation for the many forms of Christian expression.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781598563894
Publisher:	Hendrickson Publishers, Incorporated
Publication date:	11/01/2009
Edition description:	Reissue
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Sir William M. Ramsay (18511939) was a classical scholar and archaeologist whose work in Asia Minor, Italy, and indeed throughout the ancient Mediterranean influenced generations of New Testament scholars. In addition to the present volume, he is perhaps best known for the Church in the Roman Empire before A. D. 170 (1893) and St. Paul the Traveller and Roman Citizen. The impact of his work in New Testament archaeology cannot be underestimated.

Table of Contents

Preface to The Hendrickson Publishers Edition XI

Preface to The First Edition XXIII

Part 1

Chapter 1 The Church and The Passion 3

Chapter 2 One Died for All 9

Chapter 3 Therefore All Died 25

Chapter 4 The Meaning of Unity 37

Chapter 5 The Gospel and Church Order 47

Chapter 6 The Gospel and Episcopacy 59

Chapter 7 Worship 75

Chapter 8 Liturgy 85

Chapter 9 The Truth of God 103

Part 2

Chapter 10 The Church of The Fathers 119

Chapter 11 Developments In Catholicism 137

Chapter 12 The Reformers and The Church 155

Chapter 13 Ecclesia Anglicana 175

Chapter 14 Reunion, Death, and Resurrection 189

Appendices

1 The See Of Rome and Unity 193

2 Archbishop William Temple On Apostolic Succession 195

Index of Subjects 197

Index of Names 199

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"The book has more than historical interest for Anglicans. It has a distinct contribution to make to the doctrine of the church and the theology of minstry."

— James E. Griffiss

Professor of Systematic Theology at Nashota House



"A classic theological study worthy of serious reading and thought. Ramsey's careful—often moving and beautiful—exposition of his 'underlying conviction' includes deep probing of the Bible, a survey of the unfolding understanding of Christ and the church, a profound insight into the being of the church as a dying and rising again with Christ, an appreciation of Eastern Orthodox thought, a testimonial to the positive intentions—even the necessity—of the Reformers, a theologically-grounded advocacy of renewed liturgical worship, and a passion for the reunion of all Christians."

—Andrew F. Wissemann

Bishop of Western Massachusetts

from the Preface to the American Edition

Editorial Reviews

"The Gospel and the Catholic Church has two main aims: (1) ecumenism, and (2) ecclesiology rooted in the person and work of Christ. Michael Ramsey's work is a healthy balance of exegesis from both Testaments, church history, and historical theology. In an irenic spirit, he brings helpful exhortation for both Traditional and Evangelical wings of Christianity, not excluding his own Anglicanism.

"Ramsey spends the beginning chapters working out an ecclesiology rooted in Christ's death and resurrection. From Isaiah's Servant Songs, he highlights the tension between viewing the Suffering Servant as God's people and as an individual. Noting the mystery of this tension, he then proceeds to (1) show how the Christ fulfilled both as the Messiah and as the New Israel; and (2) how his work on the Cross is the root of the essence and structure of the Church. Just as Christ's work for redemption was by submission to the Father and by the death of self-hood, so the true Church would grow out of this Spirit-filled, cruciform reality: 'The Church, therefore, is defined .. .in terms of Christ, whose Gospel created it and whose life is its indwelling life (56).'

"It should be noted that his perception of the divide between the more Traditional and the more Evangelical is unhelpfully mitigated, as if there is mere dialectical tiff between those focused on the Gospel and those focused on the Church of the Gospel. Also, one wonders how the preaching of the Gospel was not included as a distinct mark of the true church.

"In any case, Ramsey's felt connection with both traditions gives an appropriate tone of love and correction. More importantly, by the reworking of an ecclesiology rooted in the Evangel of 'God, Ramsey provides a legitimate groundwork for the potential home of a reconciled Church. No, in fact, Christ provided this groundwork, and Ramsey, as a faithful bishop, has built on that foundation."
—Theological Book Review

From the Publisher