"Father Porter has written a balanced and insightful theology of the Church. Its biblical basis makes it an especially appropriate text for college or seminary classroom." --By Joseph Augustine DiNoia, OP, Undersecretary of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

"It is not easy to teach ecclesiology today. Where to begin? How to be faithful to the Catholic tradition and at the same time ecumenically open-minded and attentive to questions of credibilty? How to negotiate the many controverted questions in a fair yet decisive manner? Ecclesiology is a theological 'mindfield'! In A Guide to the Church, Fr. Lawrence Porter has succeeded in finding a way into the topic that is at the same time fresh and familiar. He confidently proposed a biblically-grounded exposition of the nature and purpose of the Church, its mission and its ministries - without ignoring that many competing claims found among Catholic theologians and within the ecumenical movement. By staying close to the biblical and patristic sources, he paints a portrait of the Church which many Christrians will find illuminating and faithful. Porter stays in dialogue with other opinions, but skillfully sets out his own views in a non-polemical and engaging style. He hopes to persuade, so he does not propose and defend the tenets of Catholic dogmatic theology in a systematic way, but confines himself to laying out its biblical foundations in dialogue with contemporary Christian scholarship. He is very attentive to questions of credibility, and takes the time to explain and defend each point in a personal, even conversational tone. While Porter clearly writes with the theological novice in mind, his book will benefit anyone who wants an up-to-date, insightful, and stimulating treatise on ecclesiology." --By Sister Sara Butler, MSBT, STL, PhD, Professor of Dogmatic Theology, St. Joseph's Seminary, Yonkers, NY.

"Father Porter is a well-respected professor and lecturer. In his new book, he surveys the Church with the keen eye of a theologian. He presents his understanding of the Church in such a way as to help others come to a deeper appreciation of this great mystery." --By Most Rev. Arthur Serratelli, STD, SSL, Bishop of Paterson and Former Chair of the Committee on Doctrine of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

"Help for the perplexed. Whether a devout Christian, atheist, Orthodox, liberal or conservative, the working Church is sometimes perplexing. So theologian Fr. Lawrence B. Porter of the Archdiocese of Newark, NJ, has written A Guide to the Church: Its Origin and Nature, Its Mission and Ministries. The book acquaints the reader with such concepts as the biblical images of the Church, contemporary models of the Church, the classical "marks" of the Church, etc. In 28 concise chapters and 2 appendices, the origin and development of the Church's historic ministries of bishop, priest, deacon, religious orders and lay ministries are set forth. As well, there are chapters on the history and theology of Church-State relations, the Church's relationship to the kingdom of God and other religions, the concept of the Church as communion, and such disputed questions as the origin of the Church and the history of women and ministry, among others. The author is sensitive to the ecumenical dimension of these themes and thus considers the witness of the entire Christian tradition, Protestant and Orthodox as well as Catholic. --Crux of the News, April 28, 2008.

In the interest of full disclosure, Father Porter and I were colleagues at a seminary. As a reviewer, however, I can unabashedly say: Reading this book makes one want to have an ecclesiology teacher like him. Not that teaching ecclesiology (or this book) is easy. In the wake of Vatican II, ecclesiology was one of the theological disciplines most riven by dissent. If pre-Vatican II theology too aggressively characterized Catholicism as "the one true Church," too many post-Vatican II writers have treated it practically as "the one wrong Church." Father Porter wants to set the record straight, rescuing the wheat of the Council's teaching from a surplus of chaff amid which it is often buried. He does a great job. Why are ecclesiological questions so important? Because the Church "is the most challenging form of community in that it makes the greatest demands upon give and take, that is, it makes demands upon the most personal human resources of faith, hope and love, asking for a great deal of each of these virtues," Father Porter writes. "It asks its members to believe that despite much chaos and confusion this life has a meaning. It asks us to hope this life is not all there is. There is a further life to come. It asks its members to believe that despite much chaos and confusion this life has a meaning. It asks us to hope that this life is not all there is. There is a further life to come. It asks its members to love unto death (especially in marriage). It places supreme importance upon the transmission and appropriation of its historic, formative experiences (the life and death of Jesus of Nazareth). It is the most ambitious form of community in that it is not only convinced it can bring a depth of meaning to each individual human life, but also peace to the world. No doubt some people will find these claims of the Church too daunting or even gratuitous, groundless. But no one should doubtr their importance. The things one believes in make a great difference in the way one lives." In 28 chapters and two appendices, Father Porter tackles all the major questions of a contemporary theology of the Church: the Church as community and assembly, its origins, images of the Church (and a critique of Cardinal Dulles' "models of the Church" approach), the Church's four marks, the Church as communion, its mission, including its relation to other religions, church and state, ministry, with special attention to priesthood and the diaconate, the role of the papacy, the Church as teacher, women and ministry, religious life, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Church, and an overview of Vatican II. Each chapter deals extensively with a particular topic usually concluding with one or two suggested "further readings" (which also include the theological position Father Porter scores). The author often begins a chapter with identifying where particular controversies exist regarding a given subject (e.g., Did Jesus really intend to found a Church? He then develops each issue biblically and historically, tracing doctrinal development (including where that evolution went off track). As a diocesan seminary instructor, he often draws pastoral applications. Commenting on the tendency of sheep to be misled, for example, he observes that "there is much in contemporary experience to suggest the herd instinct among human beings is as powerful today... as in any time in the past." He is ecumenically sensitive and witty. This book could have been improved with a subject index. (It only has an index of names). I was a little surprised that there were chapters on priesthood and diaconate, but not a distinct one on the episcopate. In some places, the author is a bit wordy. These minor flaws aside, this book is a good -- albeit challenging and theologically demanding -- introduction to the theology of the Church. It is ideally suited for college and seminary use. --John M. Grondelski in National Catholic Register, June 1, 2008