1 / 22

History of Christian Worship

History of Christian Worship. Steve Emery-Wright. Some Key Texts: Bradshaw, P. Early Christian Worship (London, SPCK, 2010). Pecklers, K. F. Worship (London: Continuum, 2003). Stringer, M. Rethinking the Origins of the Eucharist (London: SCM, 2011).

chloe-bush
Download Presentation

History of Christian Worship

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. History of Christian Worship Steve Emery-Wright

  2. Some Key Texts: • Bradshaw, P. Early Christian Worship (London, SPCK, 2010). • Pecklers, K. F. Worship (London: Continuum, 2003). • Stringer, M. Rethinking the Origins of the Eucharist (London: SCM, 2011). • Webber, R. E. Worship Old & New (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan,1994). • White, J. F. A Brief History of Christian Worship (Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 1993). • Wainwright and Tuckerfield (eds) Oxford History of Christian Worship (Oxford: OUP, 2005)

  3. Ancient Postmodern Worship Worship is an invitation of God to respond to God’s word in the world and in our lives – in the power of the Spirit. • Allowing our spirit to be set alight by the Spirit of God. • Showing God’s worth – • The Gospel in motion – Lex orandi lex crendeni – what is the Gospel? • The history of worship is a history of contextualisation

  4. Ancient Postmodern Worship • Pre Church • Creation • Tabernacle, Temple, Priests, Home • Synagogue • Community shaped by ritual

  5. Ancient Postmodern Worship • Early Church… Serious Play and Discovery • Book of Acts • Like what went before and also strove to be different • Contextual – different in Jerusalem, Corinthians, in the Images of Revelation

  6. The Apostolic Age Continuity, but growing discontinuity, with Judaism A Jesus (synagogue, temple feasts) B apostles, early Christians • worship & prayer in temple (Luke 24:53; Acts 2:46; 3:1) • teaching in temple (Acts 5:21,25,42) • participation in temple rites (Acts 21:26) • teaching in synagogues (Acts 13:14; 14:1; 17:1-2,10,17; 18:4,19; 19:8)

  7. C Adapted forms of worship 1. House meetings and common meals, probably including the Lord’s Supper (Acts 2: 42-47; 20:6; 1 Cor. 11:26; 16:1-2) 2. Elements: Scripture reading, preaching, singing, prayer, fellowship

  8. Ancient Postmodern Worship • 2000 years in • 1 Hour…

  9. The Patristic Period • private, small communities • periodic persecutions and hence eschatological expectations • developing traditions • A lex orandi, lex credenda (“the law of prayer is the law of faith”): expressions of faith often preceded and informed doctrinal formulations for example: praying to Christ (Acts 7:59-60; 2 Cor. 12:8-9), singing His praise (Eph. 5:19; Revel. 5:8-10,13-14), baptizing into Christ (Romans 6:3; Galatians 3:27), referring to Him as “Lord” (Romans 10:9; 1 Cor. 12:3) • canon of Scripture and creeds formulated (in response to heresies) • growing sacramentalism • conversion of Constantine, leading to “public Christianity” • increased public role of clergy

  10. Ancient Postmodern Worship The Middle Ages A rise of priesthood [laity], saints, Mariology B ascendancy of the Mass, decline of preaching C Is this a description of modern cathedral worship? D Development of Orthodox tradition E Importance of universal liturgy

  11. The Reformation Reformation of doctrine and worship • Primacy of the Word of God and doctrine • Translation of the Bible into the language of the people • Reaction and over-reaction • Rise of state churches (Catholic, Orthodox (earlier), Lutheran, Reformed) with regional liturgy

  12. 3 The Enlightenment, rationalism, and theological liberalism 4 The rise of evangelicalism and free churches 5 The reformation of worship 6 Vatican II (Roman Catholic) • Word of God, preaching • mass in the vernacular • Protestants = “errant brethren” 7 Charismatic/Pentecostal worship 8 Alt.worship

  13. Ancient Postmodern Worship • What was lost, gained, and what were common elements? • Word, Sacrament, Music, • Different emphasis and purposes of each • Actually entertainment in the sense of drama, wonder, and awe always present.

  14. Ancient Postmodern Worship • Worship Shaped in modernity • Shift from modernity to postmodernity. • Universal practice vs local • Orthodoxy vs authenticity • Expert vs participation and engagement • Word based vs total experience

  15. Ancient Postmodern Worship The Ancient Rediscovered but also Changed… A return to the play of the New Testament Labyrinth, Silence, Icons, Rituals, participation, ordination of all

  16. Ancient Postmodern Worship

  17. Ancient Postmodern Worship

  18. Orthodox

  19. Roman Catholic

  20. Methodist

  21. New Frontiers

More Related