Theology of Worship

Topics in Theology / REL 375 / 4 Credits
Northwestern College / Fall 2004

Instructor:  Michael Andres  andres@nwciowa.edu

Office/Hours:  VPH 115, ext. 7079
         MW 3:30-5:00 / Th 3:00-5:00 

Class Time: TuTh 9:25-10:55        

Class Location:  VPH119
                                                   

Course Description:

A theological, biblical, and historical study of Christian worship from a classical as well as contemporary perspective. 

Course Objectives:

• To grasp the biblical witness regarding the nature of worship.
• To understand the theology and practice of corporate worship throughout church history and its current state.
• To learn to theologically, biblically, and historically analyze and evaluate Christian worship.
• To formulate one's own theology of worship.
• To corporately design an actual worship service.

Primary Texts:

D. A. Carson, ed., Worship By The Book (Zondervan, 2002)

Marva Dawn, Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down (Eerdmans, 1995)

Hughes Oliphant Old, Worship Reformed According to Scripture, Revised Ed (Westminster John Knox, 2002)

Geoffrey Wainwright, Doxology: The Praise of God in Worship, Doctrine, and Life (Oxford Univ Press, 1980)

James White, A Brief History of Christian Worship (Abingdon Press, 1993)

Recommended Text (not required):  Peterson, David, Engaging With God: A Biblical Theology of Worship (InterVarsity, 1992)

Course Requirements:

• Class attendance/participation: Participation highly encouraged. Attendance is mandatory; material covered in class often is not found in readings.  After three unexcused absences, students will be graded down one-half letter grade for every subsequent unexcused absence.  This also includes attendance of three Worship Planning Workshops by Jeff Barker in September.  See below.
• Readings:  Reading should be completed before class time listed.  It is the responsibility of the student to be aware of forthcoming reading assignments given in syllabus.
• Church Worship Evaluations:  A total of six worship evaluations are required.  Students must visit two corporate worship services outside their own theological/denominational tradition.  Students will biblically, theologically, and historically evaluate these services, as well as their own church.  They will also attend two Worship Explorations (Fri Chapel time), including discussion with Greg Scheer afterwards, and one Taize service (at American Reformed) including discussion with Jackie Smallbones.
• Worship Planning Workshop Reports: Three reports required, one for each Worship Planning Workshop.
• Chapel Worship Design (November 30):  All students are required to participate in worship design process.
• Written Projects: Students are required to produce three written projects.  See below.
• Exams:  There will be three exams which cover both reading and lectures.

Course Assessment:

• Participation (6%) = 20 points
• Workshop Reports (5%) = 15 points / 5 points each
• Worship Visit Evaluations (10%) = 30 points / 5 points each
• Written Projects (20%) = 60 points / 20 points each
• Chapel Design (8%) = 25 points
• Exams (50%) = 150 points / 50 points each

Grading Guidelines

Guidelines for Worship Planning Workshops:

Students are required to attend three consecutive worship planning workshops led by Professor Jeff Barker in September.  The workshops are scheduled for Saturday mornings, 8:30-11:30 AM, September 11, 18, 25, at the DeWitt Theatre Arts Center.  Students will report and reflect on the workshop on the Worship Workshop Form, due one week later, by the next workshop.

Guidelines for Worship Visits and Evaluations:

Students are required to report and reflect on six different worship services.  Due dates for evaluations are indicated on syllabus below and should be filled out on the Worship Visitation Evaluation Form.  The six reports include a historical, biblical, and theological analysis of the following:

• One report on your 'home' church (the church with which you most identify).
• Two visits and reports on worship services outside your own theological tradition.  You will need to make arrangements and physically attend a service at a local church (you will usually have to travel outside Orange City).  Try to pick a church/tradition that is significantly different from your own.  For the sake of clarity, let us broadly group together the traditional or contemporary Reformed-Lutheran-Presbyterian traditions (incl. Evangelical Free Church); Wesleyan-Methodist traditions; Baptist traditions; the Charismatic-Pentecostal-Holiness traditions; the Roman Catholic-Orthodox-Episcopalian ('high church') traditions; Postmodern-Emergent churches; African-American church traditions (Baptist, AME, etc); Anabaptist-Mennonite-Brethren traditions; seeker-sensitive mega-churches; or home-cell churches.
• Three reports on pre-arranged campus/local worship services, each involving a subsequent discussion and Q&A.  These three services are two Worship Explorations (Friday Chapel time), including discussion with Greg Scheer afterwards, and one Taize service including discussion with Jackie Smallbones.  Dates and times are as follows: Worship Explorations in the choir room, 10:05-10:30, on October 15 and November 19, and Taize services, 6:15 pm, at American Reformed Church on Sept 12, Oct 10, and Nov 7 (second Sunday of each month).

All worship visitation reports are due by December 7, at the latest.

 

Guidelines for Written Projects:

Written projects should be succinct 1500 word documents.  Guidelines for formatting and submission are found at Writing and Submission Guidelines.  Please note that all written assignments will be submitted via e-mail attachment to instructor and also to www.turnitin.com

• Written Project #1:  What is the meaning of Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi?  In some depth, explain how Wainwright uses this phrase to explain the relationship between theology and worship.  What according to Wainwright, is the role of creeds and theology in worship?  Give evidence and citations in support of your analysis.  Due October 14.
• Written Project #2: Explore (surf!) the internet links for postmodern/emerging church sites.  Focus especially on articles and theological discussion.  From these sites articulate the common features of the postmodern/emerging church movement.  What is their theology of worship?  Give evidence and citations in support of your analysis.  Due November 11.
• Written Project #3: Compare and contrast findings in Written Project #2 on a postmodern theology of worship to the views of Marva Dawn in Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down.  Cite and explain specific texts from both Dawn and postmodern worship internet sites.  Due November 23.

Guidelines for Class Chapel Design:

The whole class are a group of church leaders (worship team, consistory, etc.):  Design a worship service in all its constituent elements.  Begin with an agreed theology, as best you can, then develop a model and theology of worship in light of this. After this, design an actual service to reflect your worship model and theology.  The whole class will actually design, organize, and lead Northwestern College chapel on Tuesday, November 30.   

• Decide what you will emphasize theologically (e.g. what view of God, Christ, Holy Spirit, humanity, salvation, sanctification, eschatology, etc.) and take care that worship reflects your chosen emphases.
• Make sure the model and theology of the worship service is readily discernible (e.g. gospel/evangelism; Christ-event/celebration; psychological/”self-esteem”; doctrinal/biblical exposition; relational/community; social action; liturgical; etc.)?
• Discuss lyrics of songs and liturgy (including prayers), type and content of preaching (thematic, expository, dramatic, narrative, testimony, etc), order of worship, environment of worship space, and so on.
• Possible elements of worship:  votum, call to worship (hymn and blessing), prayer of general confession, absolution or declaration of pardon, pastoral prayer (including specific requests on behalf of the congregation), responsive readings, Scripture readings (perhaps including law and gospel readings), the Apostles' Creed, sermon, hymns and psalms, choruses, silence, drama, dance, Communion service (e.g.  intercessions, the Lord's Prayer, Exhortation, the Words of Institution, Prayer of Consecration, and breaking of the bread or wafer), and/or benediction.

Give detailed theological and biblical support for each element of your worship (a single written justification of each element is required before chapel on Nov 30). A group of faculty and staff will evaluate you on mostly historical, biblical and theological criteria, but also on cohesion and aesthetics.  Their scores will be averaged and the whole class will receive the same grade for this project.

Final Exam Schedule:

Tuesday, December 14, 8:00-10:00am, VPH119

Make any travel or plane reservations early; professor does not have the authority to reschedule final exam for any student.

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism:

Northwestern College is a Christian academic community committed to integrity and honesty in all intellectual and academic matters. All students, faculty, and staff are expected to follow the highest standards of honesty and ethical behavior. In addition, as members of the campus community all students, faculty, and staff have a responsibility to help other members of the community to demonstrate integrity in their actions. Behavior that violates academic integrity can take a variety of forms including, but not limited to, cheating on tests, quizzes, papers, and projects; plagiarism using unauthorized material; willful misrepresentation of evidence and arguments.

Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of someone else's words or ideas, with the intent of deceiving the reader concerning the origin of the words, ideas, or images.  Plagiarism can also occur in the fine arts. It is the responsibility of the artist to acknowledge the work of others; the means of acknowledgment could be in the title or in some artistic reference within the work itself.  (Excerpts from NWC Student Handbook, 11)

Course Assistance:

I have an open door policy.  Please come by my office, preferably at office hours, if you have any questions or are having any problems with the reading, lectures, note taking, written project, etc.  Or come by for a cup of tea and chat about life.  For further assistance in academic matters help is available through Patti Thayer at Academic Support (VPH 125B).  Academic Support is there to help you so if you are having difficulties do not hesitate to ask for assistance.  Tutors are available.

Course Resources – Theological Internet Sites:

RCA on Worship

Calvin Institute of Christian Worship

Articles on Worship at Religion On-Line

Ancient Future Worship (Robert Webber)

Music at a Crossroads

Taize

Liturgy

Nairobi Statement on Worship and Culture

Snowbird Statement on Catholic Liturgical Music

 

Postmodern Worship / Emerging Church / Mosaic Movement

Emerging Church

Emergent Villiage

Leonard Sweet

Brian McLaren

Vintage Faith

The Next Wave

Mosaic

Fresh Ministry (Postmodern Worship)

Alternative Worship

Sacramentis

Mosaic Church (Austin)

Mosiaic Church (Grand Rapids)

Apostle's Church (Seattle)

The Crossing (Sioux Falls / RCA)

The Ooze (blog/message board)

Worship Exam Study Guide 1

Worship Study Guide Exam 2

Worship Study Guide Final Exam

Course Schedule:

Date	Topic	Reading / Assignment
Aug 24	Introduction:  What is Worship?
	Evaluating Worship
Aug 26	Evaluating Worship	Carson:11-63;
Aug 31	Worship in the Word: Old Testament	Reserved Reading: Hart/Muether, "Acceptable Worship"; Bible:
Sept 2	Worship in the Word: Old Testament	Bible
Sept 7	Worship in the Word: Synagogue and New Testament	Bible
Sept 9	Worship in the Word: New Testament	Bible:  White:9-39
Sept 11	Saturday Worship Planning Workshop, 8:30-11:30 am, DeWitt Theatre Arts Center	Worship Workshop Form
Sept 14	Worship in the Early and Medieval Church	White:40-103
Sept 16	Worship in the Reformation and Modern Era	White:104-177
Sept 18	Saturday Worship Planning Workshop, 8:30-11:30 am, DeWitt Theatre Arts Center	Worship Workshop Form
Sept 21	Contemporary Worship	White:178-181; Reserved Reading:Webber, "Worship Renewal in the Twentieth Century"
Sept 23	Exam #1	Worship Exam Study Guide 1
Sept 25	Saturday Worship Planning Workshop, 8:30-11:30 am, DeWitt Theatre Arts Center	Worship Workshop Form
	Worship Theology
Sept 28	God and Worship	Dawn:75-105; Wainwright:1-12
Sept 30	Humanity, Salvation, and Worship	Wainwright:15-44
Oct 5	Christ, the Holy Spirit, and Worship	Wainwright:45-117
Oct 7	Church, Sanctification, and Worship	Wainwright:118-148
Oct 12	Scripture and Worship	Wainwright:149-181
Oct 14	Creeds, Theology, and Worship	Wainwright:182-286; Written Project #1 Due
Oct 15	Worship Exploration, Friday, 10:05-10:30, Choir Room	Worship Visitation Evaluation Form
	Midterm Break - October 16-19
	Elements of Worship
Oct 21	Reading and Preaching the Word	Carson:64-135; Old:1-6, 59-90
Oct 26	Preaching the Word: Evangelism	Carson:136-192
Oct 28	Sacraments: Baptism	Carson:193-250; Old:7-22
Nov 2	Sacraments: Communion	Old:109-146
Nov 4	Exam #2	Worship Study Guide Exam 2
Nov 9	Music and Arts	Old:33-58
Nov 11	Prayer and Liturgy	Old:91-108, 147-152; Written Project #2 Due
	People of Worship
Nov 16	Worship and Culture	Dawn:ix-74;
Nov 18	Worship and Global Culture: Guest Speaker, Prof Greg Scheer	Dawn:105-164
Nov 19	Worship Exploration, Friday, 10:05-10:30, Choir Room	Worship Visitation Evaluation Form
Nov 23	Worship and Culture	Dawn:165-304; Written Project #3 Due
	THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY November 24-28
Nov 30	Designing Corporate Worship:  Preparation for Chapel Worship
Dec 2	Worship and Leadership/Participation
Dec 7	Worship and Community	All Worship Visitation Evaluation Forms Due
Dec 9	Worship and Social Action
Dec 14 (Tue)	Final Exam - 8:00-10:00am, VPH119	Worship Study Guide Final Exam