To be chosen as lecturer on The William Hoover Fellowship on Christian Unity is to be recognized es a “Christian churchman . . . whose experience, research and knowledge eminently qualify him to discuss the problems of Christian unity and to make a positive contribution toward closer co-operation of tho many Christian denominations and the ultimate unity of the church of Christ.”
What Dr. Bergendoff has spoken and written in recent years on the subject of Christian unity has been characterized by unusual clarity and understanding. His words have carried weight in ecumenical discussions. In these chapters, the Hoover Lectures for 1953, he bears witness most fully to his conception of the church and seeks to interpret the nature of the bond that holds Christians together.
The substance and implications of the descriptive
words in the Nicene Creed, “one holy catholic and
apostolic church,” are given a presentation that is
both scholarly and rich in important insights
and timely personal observations. These lectures
should help to dispel inadequate and unrealistic
ideas about the church and to clarify ecumenical
aims in the light of what is essential and consonant
with the revelations of the Scriptures and Church History.

Contents

The Apostolic Church
The Holiness of the Church
The Catholic Church
The Unity of the Church