ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the nature of the church as both an institution within civil society and a theological entity, understood through the metaphor of the body of Christ. As a social institution, the church performs particular functions related to the broader role that institutions play in forming individuals for social participation. As a theological entity, however, the church offers a vision of the world that stands in contrast too many of the presuppositions of modern society. Christians are in a sense 'double-minded' with regard to the relationship of church to society. On the one hand, they develop resources for public participation, at the same time that the values they inherit create tensions with regard to how they enact that public participation. It is the idea of the exodus church is vitally important for understanding what role the church may prospectively play in the formation of society in light of its values and in anticipation of the coming kingdom of God.
