As I am preparing for comprehensive exams, I am constantly reading. Some of these books are new to me, and some I am re-reading books from previous seminars. In an effort to help summarize these books, I have written an annotated bibliography for my own personal study. I thought I would share some of these readings with you over the next few weeks and encourage you to get your own copies of these excellent texts. I will break them into categories of Worship History, Worship Theology, Worship Philosophy, and Congregational Song. If you have read any of these books, or plan on reading them, let me know! I would love to chat with you about them!
Robert Webber wrote many excellent books on Christian worship in his life, and in Ancient-Future Worship, he explains the importance and necessity for grounding our worship in the Bible and history. Webber interacts with worship history from biblical times, through important teachings from church fathers and reformers, and continually discusses the impact of worship decisions today. Early in the book Webber explains the difference between Eastern Christianity’s emphasis on creation – incarnation – re-creation, in contrast to Western Christianity’s creation – fall – redemption understanding. Not only does he rightfully handle the development of Christian worship through the teachings of church fathers, but he summarizes how our Western lenses have sometimes skewed our understanding of true, biblical worship.
Quote: “A dominant error of some Christians is to say, ‘I must bring God into my story.’ The ancient understanding is that God joins the story of humanity to take us into his story. There is a world of difference. One is narcissistic; the other is God-oriented’” (23).
Similar to Webber, Chapell situates the story of Christian worship in all of history from biblical times forward. As the title suggests, Chapell shows how the Gospel is found in the entirety of Scripture, and where Christ’s story is revealed in historical liturgies. Not only does this book tell the stories of the Reformers and their impact on Christian liturgy, but Chapell also provides examples of how to structure liturgies today, drawing from biblical sources and documents from church history. Of particular note, Chapell provides comparisons of the liturgies of different theologians, revealing the similarities and differences in the inclusion and placements of specific liturgical elements.
Quote: “Skilled worship leaders may select music with the intention of leading worshipers from adoration to confession to assurance to thanksgiving and preparation for instruction, but this is not the norm. The more likely mindset is that worship leaders will select and sequence music that will wake people up, then get them fired up, then settle them down for the Sermon, and send them home afterward feeling good. Perhaps this is a crass way of explaining it, but such an approach is instinctive and understandable if one has little sense for the history and purposes of the church’s worship” (70).
I have used Ross’s text as a textbook, as a research document, and as an aid in personal devotions. His overall theme reveals God’s initial design for worship in the Garden of Eden, and how, once sin destroyed our fellowship with Him, we have continually strived for communal relationship with our God, which we anticipate in fullness when we see Him in glory. Ross provides deep detail into worship from the time of Eden, progressing through Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, and eventually New Testament worship. He discusses the qualifications for worship leaders in the Old Testament, which leads into his chapters on prophetic worship reforms. Ross gives ample discussion to early Christ-worship, pointing to ultimate heavenly worship in the eschaton. If you have ever wanted to study biblical worship in-depth, this is the book for you. It is saturated with Scripture and definitions, and clearly articulates the purpose of everything God instituted in biblical worship.
Quote: “One might be inclined to minimize the importance of the tabernacle and the later temple for any consideration of what might be included in planning buildings for Christian worship, thinking that because they are in the Old Testament they are no longer relevant. But since the old sanctuary was patterned after heaven’s eternal places, it remains relevant for our instruction. Its principles and purposes should help us think more seriously about what we construct for worship” (189).
Castleman’s approach to telling the story of Christian worship is similar to Webber’s in that she focuses on the story of the Bible itself, placing Christians in the narrative from Old Testament to New Testament. Like Ross, Castleman discusses worship throughout the entirety of Scripture, and reveals where Christ is in the Old Testament. Not only does she provide appropriate conversation on the importance of holiness in worship, but she emphasizes the significance of early-church worship practices. The second portion of her book highlights worship from the early church, then the Reformation, and concludes with a discussion on contemporary worship.
Quote: “A worship leader who really believes that God is fully present by divine will wisely refrain from becoming the leader of a congregational pep rally by calling for a certain response from a congregation in order to stir up observable enthusiasm or contrition. The worship of Yahweh by his covenant people was set apart as exclusive. Worship was for God alone and needed to bear the mark of holiness. Holiness was to be demonstrated by the priests charged with leading worship” (72).
Aniol is probably the current eminent scholar on Christian worship. In his latest book, he clearly articulates the basis and need of a regulative principle of worship in our services. Aniol correctly exegetes biblical passages related to worship, and points to important documents from church history that uphold the regulative principle. He helpfully places Old Testament and New Testament passages of worship side-by-side and discusses their relationship in biblical context. This is a brief book, but it is packed with profound truth, and is written in an easy-to-read style.
Quote: “We come to corporate worship not to perform rituals out of duty, not primarily to evangelize unbelievers, not even to express what is already in our hearts. We come to corporate worship to meet with God and renew our communion with him” (45).
This is just a sampling of excellent books on worship history. I have gleaned many truths from these texts that have helped me understand the importance of knowing worship history in today’s worship practices. If you have other books you would like to discuss on this topic, send me an email or comment below. Next week: worship theology!
For other posts on this topic, see Submission in Worship and The Weightiness of Worship.
Also see Why should we study the history of Christian worship? from Religious Affections.
