Engages important issues faced by the Christian church in witness and ministry Renowned for his unique slant on ecclesial affiliation -- by his own confession -evangelical without being Protestant, catholic without being Roman, and orthodox without being Eastern- -- Lutheran theologian Carl E. Braaten has long been a respected voice in ecclesiological discourse. In Critical Issues in Ecclesiology eleven authors from a variety of church traditions come together to honor Braaten. The contributors share a common theological vision: the renewal of the church so that it may bear a clearer catholic evangelical witness to the apostolic faith. By stimulating fresh thinking on several critical issues, this volume will advance ecumenical dialogue concerning the restoration of unity and the renewal of a -passion for mission- within the Great Tradition. Contributors: James M. Childs, Gabriel Fackre, Alberto L. Garcia, Timothy George, Robert W. Jenson, Joseph L. Mangina, Cheryl M. Peterson, Michael Root, Leopoldo A. Sanchez M., Frank C. Senn, Susan K. Wood