The unchanging church has no right to preach the gospel of change. Jesus spoke about an extraordinary faith in the Synoptic Gospels and explained it as mountain moving and uprooting cum replanting. The church which emerged from the band of Jesus’ disciples needed refinement, renewal and reformation. The scripture breathed by the Spirit has been found useful ‘for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness’ is taken as a reference. But the church plunged into a dark period, chained by superstition and corruption. The major Reformation in Europe in the 16th cent represented the combination of preceding renaissance, small movements of protest and new initiatives of a group of reformers. But the result was not only a critical thinking and new structures but also divisions and violence. The ecumenical movement of the 20th century continues to struggle for not only shared visions and resources but the earlier call for reunification of the church is still unfulfilled. And the fast decline of the church in the West and confused identities and ambiguous practices elsewhere, call for a new reformation. This book, sharing the view of many, without dictating a particular course of action, presents a set of reflections, shared and shaped over the years.

Contents

Preface
Introduction

Chapter 1. Reformation and Reunion

Chapter 2. Piety and Partnership

Chapter 3. Primacy of the Scripture

Chapter 4. Comprehensive Creed

Chapter 5. A Unique Vision of God: God of the Poor

Chapter 6. From Jesus or Spirit Cult to a Triune God

Chapter 7. Imaging and Imagining Jesus

Chapter 8. Faith, Ordinary and Extraordinary

Chapter 9. Back to the Jewish Roots

Chapter 10. Church, One Body of Christ, Holy, Apostolic

Chapter 11. Worshipping in Spirit and Truth

Chapter 12. Prayer

Chapter 13. From Intercession to Prayer of Solidarity

Chapter 14. The Church (Congregation): What it is Not and What it Is

Chapter 15. Church Building, Not Temple

Chapter 16. Christian Ministry

Chapter 17. Collective Priesthood

Chapter 18. Ministry and Leadership

Chapter 19. Ministerial Uniform

Chapter 20. Transforming Mission

Chapter 21. Baptism and Eucharist

Chapter 22. Election/Selection Process as Part of Witness

Chapter 23. Dimensions of the Gospel

Chapter 24. Interreligious Dialogue: Superficial and Substantial

Chapter 25. From Charity to Solidarity

Chapter 26. Christian Hope of the Future

Conclusion

The Revd Dr Israel Selvanayagam, a presbyter from the Church of South India has retired from the ministry of pastoring, teaching, administering and practising interreligious dialogue for more than fifty years both in India and the United Kingdom. He has published extensively both in Tamil and English. Christian World Imprints have had the privilege of publishing many of his books, the last one being Reading the Bible with Passion and Engagement: Notes for 100 Bible Studies, 2023.