After Our Likeness: The Church as the Image of the Trinity (Sacra Doctrina Series) Book

This book is an important contribution to ecumenical dialogue on the nature of the church, providing a perspective that is often neglected: the catholicity of the free church tradition. Volf anchors his unique approach in the perichoretic understanding of the Trinity and methodologically approaches his topic in conversation (and critique) of two ecclesiologies representing the Catholic and Orthodox positions: Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) and John Zizioulas. Herein is my biggest reservation about this otherwise highly insightful book. Each of these representative figures are only singular aspects of their traditions and by no means represent the whole or "official" view. This would have been a better book with a more general analysis of the two traditions. Another reservation is Volf's radical demoncratization of church structures. He doesn't dismiss the validity of episcopal structures but argues for the validity of non-episcopal structures as well, which, he argues, may even at times be better suited for a particular time period and culture. A better alternative and more theologically consistent one may be to see where heirarchical ecclesial structures exist alongside a laity which exerts a robust authority. What is so promising about the modern ecumenical movement is not the legitimizing of diversity in the name of a perichoretic catholicity but the integration of the priesthood of all believers with the ministerial priesthood. From a Catholic perspective, we're not yet where we need to be in this regard, but we're moving in that direction. Volf's book, even when qualified, can help us get there.