By Edward Farley
The Office of Theology and Worship is pleased to present the opening essay in Practicing Gospel, Theology in the Life of the Congregation, as Theology and Worship Occasional Paper No. 17. The essay stands by itself as a valuable contribution to the self-understanding of the church and its ministers. Pastors and seminarians will benefit from its analysis and its suggestive description of “a theology of ministry and ministry as theology.” The essay also serves as an introduction to the whole collection, and may inspire some to read further, exploring such issues as “Preaching the Bible and Preaching the Gospel,” and “The Tragic Dilemma of Church Education.” The Office of Theology and Worship is grateful to Westminster John Knox Press for permission to publish the present essay, and hopes that readers will find their way to all the essays in Practicing Gospel.