House Church Discussion List

The Vernard Eller Collection

We are very pleased to offer several of the writings of the late Vernard Eller (1927-2007) on the Home Church web site.

Dr. Eller was a member of the Church of the Brethren, one of the many traditions descended from the Protestant Radical Reformation that is the seat of house church theology. Dr. Eller published over twenty books, many articles in scholarly journals, and was a frequent guest preacher or teacher in pulpits and lecture halls all over the country. He was an expert on Kierkegaard, and has spoken especially frequently on such topics as radical discipleship and the Christian life.

Dr. Eller received his B.A. from LaVerne College in 1949, a B.D. from Bethany Theological Seminary, an M.A. from Northwestern University, and a Th. D. from the Pacific School of Religion. He joined the faculty of LaVerne College in 1958 and was Professor of Religion there for many years. Most of his books are out of print, so we have arranged to make them available here.

Most of the works of Vernard Eller are listed on this page.

Books

  • The red ONLINE buttons provide free and immediate access to the books where we have had permission to republished the material on this site. How was this possiblel? Dr. Ellelr persuaded the origignal publishers to return the copyright to him so that he could grant us permission to make them availalble to our visiters.
  • Most of Dr. Eller’s books are available from new or used book sellers lilke Amazon or eBay. The green NEW or USED button are liinks to those resources.
                     Could the Church Have it All Wrong? Exclusively available on this web site, Dr. Eller came to regard this controversial monograph as his most important project, yet it remains unpublished as ink on paper. Dr. Eller examines the theology and purpose of baptism and the Lord‘s Supper, finding that most modern practices miss the point entirely.This will transform your thinking on these important ordinances and bring new life to your fellowship.
The Most Revealing Book of the Bible. This is a lay-person’s commentary with a difference. First, it might well have been subtitled “the non-calendarizer’s handbook to Revelation,” leaving no quarter for those who seek to compare the events and charcters in that book with those in modern society and politics. Second, it is theological in its treatment, refusing to engage in any interpretation that violates the balance of New (or Old) Testament theology while remaining solidly exegetical every step of the way. Third, it presents a strong case that Revelation is a vital book for our own age–a well crafted presentation of the gospel message and an encouragement for the faithfulness of the saints.

Kierkegaard and Radical Discipleship: A New Perspective. Forget whatever you may have heard about Kierkegaard. Eller shows here that he was far closer to the Protestant sectarianism of his day than to philosophy, sociology, or physchology. This began as Eller’s Ph. D. dissertation, but has been greatly expanded. It is the most academic of all his books, establishing that Kierkegaard belonged in the tradition of the Radical Reformation.

The Mad Morality: Or, the Ten Commandments Revisited.The 1967 article in The Christian Century  (see below) received so much favorable comment that Dr. Eller forged an alliance with the people of Mad Magazine. Can you imagine the wit Dr. Eller filtering the 10 Commandments through Alfred E. Newman and Mad Magazine?  The result was The Mad Morality.
1970 edition
1972 edition NEW or USED
The Sex Manual for Puritans. Eller’s The Mad Morality, above, sparked this Sex Manual project, which was to be illustrated by the Mad staff. This did not work out as planned, but the text was published anyway–in a plain paper wrapper (so to speak). Forward by Richard Armour.


Christian Anarchy: Jesus‘ Primacy over the Powers. If you’re wondering what Christians should do about politics, the Christian Right, tax withholding, civil disobedience, etc., etc., you will need to read this book.
ONLIINE

The Beloved Disciple: His Name, His Story, His Thought. Is John Son of Zebedee really the author of the Fourth Gospel? Prof. Eller puts on his Sherlock Holmes hat and discovers a much more likely candidate. The book goes on to locate the Eucharist in that book, which was skipped over in its treatment of the Last Supper.
The Simple Life: The Christian Stance Toward Possessions.
This is about the Christian simple life, not the popular variety so many seek today. Thoroughly biblical, Dr. Eller adds the parables of Kierkegaard to his own analysis to derive the doctrine of the simple life from the New Testament witness.


Proclaim Good Tidings: Evangelism for the Faith Community. Where is the house church on evangelism? Eller himself regards this short book as the one most centered in the house church community. But you won’t see him handing out tracts or preaching on street corners here. Foreword by Vernon C. Grounds.
 Pearl of Christian Counsel for the Brokenhearted
Dr. Eller brings us a delightful 14th century anonymous poem, having translated it from Middle English and adding a commentary. A devotional look at suffering, grieving, and loss from a Christian perspective.

.		The Outward Bound: Caravaning as a Style of the Church. A strong challenge to the institutional church that sees itself as a “commissary,” Dr. Eller presents the case for the outward bound community that sees itself as a “caravan” on its way to a celestial destination. Should the church be successful or faithful? And why can’t it have it both ways? Should a church see itself as the Royal Vienna String Quartet, or as a barbershop foursome?

The Language of Canaan and the Grammar of Feminism.
House Church Central is an “inclulsive language” website, but the astute believer needs to be aware of the important concept of gender in the Scriptures because inclusive language can obscure some aspects of God‘s revelation. This is a book about language–both the Bible’s (the language of Canaan) and our own.

War and Peace from Genesis to Revelation
Eller presents a theology of pacifism.
Towering Babble: God‘s People without God‘s Word
Eller’s call to the church to return to the Bible as their authority.

Letters Published in The Christian Century

Vernard Eller was a frequent witness of radical discipleship to the subscribers of The Christian Century,  which has graciously permitted their republication here for the benefit of House our visitors.

Articles in Other Publications

Unpublished Essays

Dr. Eller submitted quite a number of essays in 1997, only recently discovered. It will take some time to OCR and proof them; some are being withheld because of permission issues, but those that are deemed okay are presented here.

Tributes