This book is the third in Jürgen Moltmann's trilogy of general theological ruminations, and easily the most straightforward to read and most practical to apply. With the first book centred on the possibility & virtue of hope, and the second on the self-abandonment & suffering of Christ, this volume deals with us as Jesus's followers in the present here & now, living in history as the Church as we both struggle in our finitude & are aided by the ever-helpful Spirit.
This volume covers a huge amount of ground so my summary of its contents will be more cursory. After defining the dimensions of a modern doctrine of the Church, we explore how that has manifested & changed throughout history & how God's fingerprints are all over this; we then examine the specific implications of what it means for Jesus Christ to be the head of the Church, and concomitantly their twin role in bringing about the promised Kingdom; the next two chapters focus on the role of the Holy Spirit, firstly by being present & active in the sacraments, then by being powerful & creative in generating new possibilities for human community. The final chapter goes back to basics in light of everything discussed and reviews what it means for the Church to be "one, holy, catholic and apostolic".
I found this book an absolute pleasure to read (compare dates on the posts - I read this in less than half the time any of Moltmann's other books have taken me) and eminently spiritually and humanly practical. Any Christian, especially in a leadership role, would benefit enormously from digging deep into the wisdom of the reflections given here.
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