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Liquid ecclesiology: the gospel and the church

In Liquid Ecclesiology Pete Ward develops and defends a practical theological approach to ecclesiology and applies this approach to give fresh insights into understanding tensions between the espoused and operant theologies found in charismatic evangelical churches today. It represents a mature consideration of many of the themes explored in his earlier works in the light of wider debates in practical theology and ecclesiology. It is particularly helpful in providing a solid theoretical framework for Ward’s empirically based approach to the study of the church. This book will be helpful to postgraduate students and academics working in the field of practical theology or ecclesiology. Whilst the cost may make it difficult for undergraduate students to obtain, it is highly recommended for theological libraries, as it will be useful to students of practical theology and those training for ministry. The structure of the book is in three parts, beginning with an exploration of the world of ecclesiology and making a structured argument for an empirical approach to the study of the church. He places his approach in the context of historical and contemporary debates in ecclesiology. In the introduction, Ward tackles Barth’s challenge to empirical approaches to ecclesiology head on, arguing that he is simply taking a different ‘fork in the road’ (11) to that Barth took in response to the problem of the tension between the contingency and fluidity of human life and the solidity of eternal perspectives on the Church from God’s perspective. He argues for a critical realist approach, asserting that any attempt to define the ‘true nature’ of the church can only be contingent, since ecclesiological description is not the ontological truth, but only an attempt to describe this truth. Thus, with Healy, he argues against ‘blueprint ecclesiologies’ (17), which only see one true form to the church, and instead argues for taking the lived expressions of faith found in the concrete church more seriously.