Does God Need the Church?: Toward a Theology of the People of God (Michael Glazier Books) [Paperback]

Gerhard Lohfink (Author), Linda M. Maloney (Translator)

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Michael Glazier Books (January 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814659284
• ISBN-13: 978-0814659281
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #250,917 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The People of God in the Divine Plan of Redemption, January 7, 2003

By 

C. Enerson (Garden Grove, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Does God Need the Church?: Toward a Theology of the People of God (Michael Glazier Books) (Paperback)

This book communicates the author's vision of the Church and its role in the world with power and progressive clarity. Lohfink demonstrates that an understanding of the Church cannot be separated from an understanding of Israel as the people of God, the vehicle through which God brings salvation to the entire world. Using historical critical methods and his experience as a biblical exegete, he reconstructs the story of Israel, particularly its Exodus traditions, showing how the experience of Israel with God resulted in a social project, rooted in the Torah. It was a radically new form of community and worldview that stood in contrast to other nations and peoples. He proceeds to weave the story of Jesus in the context of Israel's history, connecting his gathering of the Twelve with the eschatological gathering of Israel, and portraying his death as the renewal and sealing of the covenant for the people of God. Finally, he details how the Church is a continuation of a history that began with Abraham, but now centered in Jesus.

Of particular interests is how Lohfink handles Jesus' feeding of the five thousand. He shows how the historic Church has tended to make the same mistakes as Jesus' disciples did in their response to the hungry multitudes. Lohfink uses Jesus' response to their questions to deduce how the Church must be formed in order to be more than another charitable organization or religious services provider. The mission of the Church is rather to be the new society, a locus of salvation capable of transforming the world.

Finally, Father Lohfink shares his own story, describing his experiences in the German Church from the time of Hitler to the present, including his decision to relinquish his chair as a Professor of New Testament at the University of Tubingen to join the Catholic Integrated Community and its Association of Priests in Munich Germany.

Does God Need the Church? Yes indeed!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lohfink for non-seminary, January 19, 2008

By 

Margaret Terwilliger "words and wine" (Dry County, Arkansas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Does God Need the Church?: Toward a Theology of the People of God (Michael Glazier Books) (Paperback)

I am reading this book after reading "Jesus and Community", also by Lohfink. I am an older student and fairly well educated (B.S., B.A.). I found the books somewhat slow going but packed full of insightful and thought provoking information. Although Lohfink's background is very different from mine, his use of scripture made it possible to stay on track with his points. I have had hours and hours of discussion and comtemplation from this study. I am in the process of redefining my concept of "church" in response to some of these ideas. I would recommend this to any lay person for serious study (if you aren't scared to pull out your dictionary and don't get alarmed if someone references ideas or texts that you don't necessarily agree with).

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why go to Church?, January 5, 2007

By 

E. L. Donahue - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Does God Need the Church?: Toward a Theology of the People of God (Michael Glazier Books) (Paperback)

The author, a well-known New Testament scholar, published a study some twenty years ago entitled "Jesus and Community." That book was well-received, but it did not provide enough background to be helpful for contemporary parishes wanting to renew themselves. This book is a much more fulsome study of the entire biblical story from Genesis to the Book of Revelation, focusing on the role of community in shaping the people of God. He shows quite convincingly that the God of the Bible wants his people to give witness to their faith not simply as individuals but primarily as a unified community of believers. Accordingly, Christians who do not see the importance of belonging to a concrete parish or local church do not understand the biblical message.