Living the Faith Community: The Church That Makes a Difference (Seabury Classics)

Living the Faith Community is an eloquent summary of all that the church is called to be, an exploration of the reasons why Christians long to be in community, and the quality of the communities they need. In this systhesis of family, story, ritual, and church, Westerhoff shows how it is possible to find identity in a "faith family" that has been formed by the story of God, both Scripture and creed.

The book begins with Christians' basic need for those communities without which they cannot receive, sustain, or deepen their faith. The four essentials of religious community are a common story and memory, a common authority, common rituals, and a fulfilling common life. Successsive chapters describe with clarity and insight the narrative characters of church life, the role of worship, the importance of liturgy to Christian nurture, and the role of catechesis in forming Spirit-filled community.