The Church as Bride and Mother: Two Neglected Theological Metaphors

INTRODUCTION In a recent book on ecclesiolog y, Exploring Ecclesiolog y: An Evangelical and Ecumenical Introduction, Brad Harper and Paul Louis Metzger lament the fact that “people are into ‘Jesus’ and ‘spirituality’ today, but not ‘religion’ and ‘Church.’”1 Their proposed solution to this problem is, in part, an emphasis on two metaphors for the Church: the Church as mother and the Church as bride. !ey argue that, though the contemporary Church o"en plays the harlot just as Israel did in Hosea’s day, she does not lose her status as mother and bride. As mother, she “birthed the Bible under the guidance of the Spirit” and all “those who are born again are born into the Church.”2 As bride, she consists of “simultaneously spotted and spotless believers” who are making “preparations for the [eschatological] wedding banquet.”3 For Harper and Metzger, to know the Church as mother and bride exposes the disconnect between those who say they love Jesus while eschewing the Church. To love Jesus is to love the Church, his bride and our mother. This article will also argue in favor of an evangelical engagement with the maternal and nuptial metaphors for the Church, with one caveat: the two metaphors should be considered together and in the proper order.