DESCRIPTION:

This course will explore the historical and theological dimensions of Christian worship. It will provide an overview of liturgical history, consideration of theological issues relating to worship and the practice of sacraments and ordinances in various denominational, liturgical, and ethnic traditions, a critique of the range of worship/liturgical styles presently at use in the Church (including Eastern and Western practices and so-called "traditional" and "contemporary" styles), consideration of a theology of church music, and criteria for the evaluation of technological resources for worship use. A significant objective of the course will be for students to begin to develop a theology of worship.

The gathering of God's people for worship has been central to the activity of the Christian Church from its inception. Within the context of worship, the Church has heard the Word of God read and proclaimed, taught its catechumens of the faith, administered baptism and holy communion, and shaped itself as God's people. This course will teach ministry students to understand the historical and theological forces that have shaped the church at worship and provide them with evaluative tools for creating contemporary expressions of worship and for critiquing worship in various contexts.

The course will meet twice weekly for ninety-minute meetings. It will involve lecture and discussion of reading material. It will also provide opportunity for student presentations and student led discussions. The course grade will be based on knowledge and understanding of lecture and reading material, participation in discussion, performance on class assignments, and diligence in the student-led exercises.

Maynard-Reid, Pedrito. Diverse Worship: African-American, Caribbean & Hispanic Perspectives. InterVarsity Press, 2000.

Rozeboom, Sue A. and Cornelius Plantinga Jr. Discerning the Spirits: Understanding and Evaluating Contemporary Worship Practices. Eerdmans, 2003.

White, James F. A Brief History of Christian Worship. Abingdon, 1993.

Wilson, Len and Jason Moore. Digital Storytellers: The Art of Communicating the Gospel in Worship. Abingdon, 2002.

Witvliet, John D. Worship Seeking Understanding: Windows into Christian Practice. Baker Academic, 2003.

Students will (1) lead in discussion of a portion of assigned reading material; (2) write a 4-6 page paper comparing the sacramental/ordinance theology of their denomination or tradition to that of another; (3) write a 3-4 page paper providing a theological critique of the use of music and technology in an actual setting of worship; (4) work in teams to prepare an in-class presentation (with accompanying written materials) dealing with the historical and theological forces that have given shape to their own tradition's or denomination's worship; (5) take a mid-term examination on the historical theology of Christian Worship; and (6) develop an architectural design for a worship space for a hypothetical context and provide a 3-4 page theological rationale for all design choices. Students wishing to earn an A or A- in the course will also prepare an 8-10 page paper on their own emerging theology of worship.

Elective for general M.Div.; required course for M.A. WTA and M.Div. WTA concentration.