how the church is/supposed to be in relation to the community, the churches role in shaping social issues. Are two of the main things that I would like to know as well as what is the reason for the church. Thank you for your reply and help.
Not really a book, but something I'd recommend anyway:
When the Nazis were in charge of Germany they also managed to hijack the German churches. Specifically the establishment of a uniform "Protestant" church that toe-licked Nazi ideology in the form of the Protestant Reichskirche. There was, of course, a powerful opposition to this in the form of the Confessing Church (
Bekennende Kirche) whose leaders included Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Martin Niemöller--Niemöller is most famous as the author of the "First they came..." speech,
"
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me."
The Confessing Church put forward a theological confession or creed known as the Theological Declaration of Barmen, the chief author of the text was Swiss theologian Karl Barth.
An online English translation can be found here:
http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/barmen.htm
One of the chief aims is a reaffirmation of the Reformation doctrine of the two kingdoms by asserting the separation of Church and State, rejecting as false doctrine that the Church could ever exist as an organ of the State, or that the State can have true authority in the Church. A notable section:
"8.19 - 4. "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant." (Matt. 20:25,26.)
8.20 The various offices in the Church do not establish a dominion of some over the others; on the contrary, they are for the exercise of the ministry entrusted to and enjoined upon the whole congregation.
8.21 We reject the false doctrine, as though the Church, apart from this ministry, could and were permitted to give itself, or allow to be given to it, special leaders vested with ruling powers."
8.21 in the original German is, perhaps, more interesting:
"
Wir verwerfen die falsche Lehre, als könne und dürfe sich die Kirche abseits von diesem Dienst besondere, mit Herrschaftsbefugnissen ausgestattete Führer geben und geben lassen."
One will note the word
Führer, "leader". Herein the Declaration rejects as false doctrine any form of leadership within the Church apart from the office of the ministry (i.e. the ministry of the preaching of the Gospel and administering the Sacraments) thereby explicitly rejecting leaders or authority granted by stately power (
Herrschaftsbefugnissen); explicitly rejecting Hitler and the Nazi regime's claims over the Church because it has no right over Christ's Church. This, of course, does not just reject Hitler and the Nazi party's claims over the Church but is a denouncement of all stately claims over the Church for the Church recognizes but one Leader, Christ who exercises His authority in the Church through the office of the ministry--by the preaching of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments. As such the Declaration of Barmen remains a relevant confessional text even in the 21st century.
-CryptoLutheran
