The Identity and the Life of the Church

This study of John Calvin's ecclesiology argues that Calvin's idea of the twofold identity of the Church--its spiritual identity as the body of Christ and its functional identity as the mother of all believers--is closely related to his understanding of Christian identity and life, which are initiated and maintained by the grace of the triune God. The anthropological basis of Calvin's idea of the Church has not been examined fully, even though Calvin presents the important concepts of his ecclesiology in light of his anthropological ideas. This study offers an overall evaluation for Calvin's ecclesiology, arguing that it is ultimately his pastoral concern for the Christian and the Church under affliction that both governs his theological understanding of the Church and shapes his proposals for establishing and sustaining the life of the Church in the world. This illuminating work provides a systematic exploration of the close relationship between anthropology and ecclesiology in the theology of John Calvin. With care and insight, Kim details and analyzes the connections between the relational, trinitarian, and eschatological dynamics of the former, and the functional and spiritual aspects of the latter. The result is an accomplished contribution to ongoing work in Calvin studies. --Paul T. Nimmo, Meldrum Lecturer in Theology, University of Edinburgh Yosep Kim has produced a fascinating study of Calvin's ecclesiology, focusing on the relation in his thought between the church's spiritual identity as the invisible body of Christ and her functional identity as the visible mother of believers. This will be of interest to all Calvin scholars and especially to those concerned with his doctrine of the church. --Anthony N. S. Lane, Professor of Historical Theology, London School of Theology Through its close attention to the rich metaphors that John Calvin deployed in his theological reflections, this sophisticated and penetrating exploration of his ecclesiology, in the light of his anthropology, brings out both the profoundly pastoral dynamics that drove Calvin's theological enterprise and the thick texture of the theological webbing that made his thought such a coherent and effective force in the world. --Richard Rex, Reader in Reformation History, University of Cambridge Yosep Kim (PhD, University of Cambridge) is Assistant Professor of Historical Theology at Chongshin Theological Seminary, Seoul, South Korea.