In view of the increasing importance of the doctrine of the Church in Christian theology in general and in Seventh-day Adventist theology in particular this course aims:

 

1. To make students acquainted with develop-ments in ecclesiology throughout the history of Christian thought, paying special attention to different models of church government, different concepts of ministry, and various views of the attributes or marks of the Church.

2. To study in some detail several key issues in ecclesiology (such as the sacraments or ordinances, ordination, women in ministry, and the unity of the Church), drawing practical impli-cations for the practice of ministry.

3. To deepen the student’s understanding of the biblical, Christ-centered teaching on the origin and nature of the Church, her mission in the world, as well as the different scriptural images or meta-phors to describe the Church.