Mere Fidelity A Generous Ecclesiology with Myles Werntz
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Jan 28, 2026 Myles Werntz, professor of theology at Abilene Christian University and author of Contesting the Body of Christ, walks through twentieth-century upheavals that reshaped how Christians imagine the church. He uses global case studies to show contestation as intrinsic to ecclesial life. The conversation highlights the Spirit's renewed visibility, theological guardrails, and how to argue faithfully across deep disagreements.
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Begin With Pneumatological Charity
- Myles Werntz approached global ecclesiology by presuming the Spirit is at work in churches that confess Christ.
- He uses inductive case studies to understand how diverse churches incarnate the marks of the church.
Methodist By Day, Pentecostal By Night
- Myles grew up Methodist by day and Pentecostal by night, shaping his appreciation for varied Christian expressions.
- That upbringing informed his curiosity and willingness to assume the Spirit might work outside his own tradition.
Contestation As A Feature, Not A Bug
- Werntz reframes contestation as intrinsic to ecclesial life, not merely failure of unity.
- He sees interchurch argumentation as creaturely deliberation shaped by one Spirit and aimed at truth.
