Is authority reserved for those with a specific calling to leadership? Who holds power in the church? Does authority have limits? Are teaching and preaching the most important practices of authority?
Our understanding–and misunderstanding–of authority has significant implications for our individual and corporate flourishing. In A Theology of Authority, Christa McKirland challenges our assumptions about authority, power, and leadership. With a focus on low-church traditions, she examines authority through the lens of analytic philosophy and biblical theology to offer a theological definition of authority. She also tackles questions related to divine and human authority, Scripture, and practices typically related to ordination: preaching, teaching, serving communion, baptizing, church discipline, and vision casting.
A Theology of Authority expands our understanding of authority, recognizing the Spirit's enablement of each member to fulfill their calling to spiritual maturity. Readers will gain a deeper understanding of the nuances of authority and power and how we relate to one another as siblings in Christ.
By:
Christa L. McKirland
Imprint: Baker Academic, Div of Baker Publishing Group
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions:
Height: 229mm,
Width: 152mm,
Weight: 408g
ISBN: 9781540968166
ISBN 10: 1540968162
Pages: 288
Publication Date: 09 December 2025
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Introduction: Authority over Others? Part 1: What Is Authority? Forming the Bricks 1. Executive Authority: Imperative and Performative 2. Nonexecutive Authority: Epistemic and Exemplary 3. A Theological Definition of Authority Part 2: How Is Authority Expressed? Building the Boundary Walls 4. Divine Authority (1): The One God Who Is Three 5. Divine Authority (2): Jesus and the Spirit 6. Authority and Scripture 7. Authority, Translation, and Interpretation 8. Authority, Power, and Human Calling 9. Authority and Human Community Part 3: How Is Authority Identified and Evaluated? Living Within the Boundary Walls 10. Theological Boundary Walls for Post-Pentecost Interpersonal Authority 11. The Source, Purpose, and Limits of Authority 12. Recognizing Limits and Expanding Our Imaginations Conclusion: Flourishing Within the Boundary Walls Indexes
Christa L. McKirland (PhD, University of St. Andrews) is dean of faculty and lecturer in systematic theology at Carey Baptist College in Aotearoa (New Zealand). She focuses especially on theological anthropology and is the author God's Provision, Humanity's Need: The Gift of Our Dependence. She is also the executive director of Logia International, an organization that seeks to encourage women to pursue postgraduate theological study for the sake of the academy and church.
