A Theology of Authority: Rethinking Leadership in the Church

Publisher Marketing: Is authority reserved for those with a specific calling to leadership? Who holds power in the church? Does authority have limits? Are teaching and preaching the most important practices of authority?

Our understanding--and misunderstanding--of authority has significant implications for our individual and corporate flourishing. In A Theology of Authority, Christa McKirland challenges our assumptions about authority, power, and leadership. With a focus on low-church traditions, she examines authority through the lens of analytic philosophy and biblical theology to offer a theological definition of authority. She also tackles questions related to divine and human authority, Scripture, and practices typically related to ordination: preaching, teaching, serving communion, baptizing, church discipline, and vision casting.

A Theology of Authority expands our understanding of authority, recognizing the Spirit's enablement of each member to fulfil their calling to spiritual maturity. Readers will gain a deeper understanding of the nuances of authority and power and how we relate to one another as siblings in Christ.

ntroduction: Authority over Others? Part 1: What Is Authority? Forming the Bricks

1. Executive Authority: Imperative and Performative
2. Nonexecutive Authority: Epistemic and Exemplary
3. A Theological Definition of Authority Part 2: How Is Authority Expressed? Building the Boundary Walls
4. Divine Authority (1): The One God Who Is Three
5. Divine Authority (2): Jesus and the Spirit
6. Authority and Scripture
7. Authority, Translation, and Interpretation
8. Authority, Power, and Human Calling
9. Authority and Human Community Part 3: How Is Authority Identified and Evaluated? Living Within the Boundary Walls
10. Theological Boundary Walls for Post-Pentecost Interpersonal Authority
11. The Source, Purpose, and Limits of Authority
12. Recognizing Limits and Expanding Our Imaginations Conclusion: Flourishing Within the Boundary Walls Indexes