What does it mean to be a Christian? In a time when many have an identity crisis, it is good for Christians to pose this question. Using the Bible, the Word of the Creator who placed us on earth and who made us a new creation in Christ, Dr. Cornelis Van Dam unpacks the glory, challenges, and privilege of being a Christian, that is, of having the office of prophet, priest, and king, with all its implications for today. But the discussions go beyond that. In a series of essays in his book In Holy Service, Dr. Van Dam addresses many aspects of our service to God, such as the tasks and opportunities which the Lord gives to women, single and married, as well as the calling of mothers, husbands, and wives. He also delves into the offices that function in the church: the identity and tasks of ministers, elders, and deacons. Issues dealt with include the calling of the church in relation to the civil government, the matter of women in ecclesiastical office, and the service of women in the church. Finally Dr. Van Dam also compares the pagan context in which the early Christian church found itself to the reality of a rising neo-paganism today and how Christians should respond. This book will help Christians function as God intended in holy service to him in all of life.

Cornelis Van Dam is emeritus professor of Old Testament at the Canadian Reformed Theological Seminary in Hamilton, Ontario.