| This study is a historical and theological analysis of the origins and the development of Watchman Nee's doctrine of the church. It comprises a substantial treatment on Nee's life and an in-depth analysis of his ecclesiastic thought and practice.;This study has found that the center or pivot of Watchman Nee's whole system of theology is the doctrine of the Local Church, not the trichotomous anthropology as scholars in the past so believed. It has also shown that although the origins of some of Watchman's concepts could be traced in the writings of J. N. Darby or T. Austin-Sparks, Watchman's ecclesiological theories and practices as a whole are creative and innovative.;The foundation of his whole ecclesiology is his unique view on the relationship between Christ and the church. On the basis of idiosyncratic definition of the church as "the Corporate Christ," through his sophisticated typological and symbolical interpretation, he developed his doctrine of the church in both the heavenly and the earthly dimensions. This two-dimension ecclesiology paved the way for his thesis "one locality, one church" as the only way to the true unity of the church on earth. As an ecclesiastic perfectionist, his radical approach for purifying the church of evil denominationalism made him a sharp diagnostician but not good therapist in the eyes of many. On the other hand, his thesis that "the Work is regional while the church is local," based on his distinction between the local church and the extra-local Work, leads to the famous program "Evangelism by Migration," which was successful and promising. Surprisingly, this study also discovers that Watchman Nee's view of church unity and government is essentially Presbyterian, even though he himself might not realize this.;The most significant achievement of Watchman's ecclesiology lies not in his advocation and implementation of the "three-self," but in his provision of a full-orbed system of ecclesiology with strong missionary emphasis. He has offered a complete and coherent system out of a Sitz im Leben in the missionary life of the church, which Western missionaries failed to do. "The Glorious Church, Holy and Without Blemish" as the central message of Watchman's ecclesiology, has provided eschatological hope and strength for Chinese Christians in their sufferings amidst multidimensional turmoil and chaos. It can also cure the Christian churches today of their myopia and amnesia. |
