DAWN, MARVA J.
Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down: A Theology of Worship for the
Turn-of-the-Century Culture. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company, 1995. [Dawn provides a scathing indictment of those who
uncritically reshape Christian worship in the image of popular cultural
expressions. Her insights are on target, but her argumentation
sometimes leaves little room for conversation.]
DIX, GREGORY.
Shape of the Liturgy. New York: Seabury Press, 1984.
[A modern “classic” of liturgical study, Dix identifies important elements
of Eucharistic liturgies that have been repeated throughout the history of
the church. His overall goal was to find a common “shape” to such
celebrations. Recent research, by Paul Bradshaw and others, has
seriously questioned Dix’s particular approach, but Dix’s contributions are
still relevant, applicable, and worth considering today.]
HOWARD, THOMAS Evangelical is Not Enough
[An old but outstanding text from one who had become a Christian in the
mainline evangelical tradition, but had come to believe, though
non-negotiable about the orthodoxy of a personal faith, that there were big
parts missing from within his own personal Christian life and experience.
He chronicles his personal journey of spiritual formation.]
NOUWEN, HENRI The Way of the Heart [A
devotional like book that will help those with an excessive cogitative
prowess to connect their own Heart to that of God.]
NOUWEN, HENRI The Genesee Diary [The
record of an ordinary Catholic priest's time in a monastery. He came
in as a burned out pastor, seeking to know God and there God found him in
what were many surprising experiences. This was not how Fr. Nouwen had
planned to discover intimacy with God.]
HILL, ANDREW E.
Enter His Courts with Praise: Old Testament Worship for the New Testament
Church. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1996. [An excellent text to give
biblical foundation for Christian worship especially from the Old Testament.
Dr. Hill also explains much of the topology of the new testament which is
shadowed in the Old Testament.]
PECK, M. SCOTT People of the Lie [Not
a theologian, rather a therapist, Dr. Peck presents very compelling teaching
about the influence of major personality disorders, especially perpetrated
by people of great influence.]
PETERSON, DAVID.
Engaging with God: A Biblical Theology of Worship. Grand Rapids: Wm. B.
Eerdmans Publishing, 1992. [An absolutely outstanding scholarly text showing
teaching from the scriptures how we are to engage God only on the terms that
He decides and that our worship is not about being consumer driven.]
TORRANCE, JAMES B.
Worship, Community and the Triune God of Grace. Downers Grove:
Intervarsity Press, 1997. [A call to allow our worship to become
Trinitarian again in focus. Torrance identifies ways in which our
worship has not always embraced the Triune God and suggests ways in which a
Trinitarian theology of worship might constructively shape our
understandings and practices today.]
WEBBER, ROBERT E.,
EDITOR. The Complete Library of Christian Worship. Eight
volumes. Peabody, M.A.: Hendrickson Publishers, 1993-1994. [The basic,
foundational library upon which our program is structured. A set of
volumes with signed articles and extensive bibliographies, examining worship
from the perspective of its biblical foundations, history, renewal, music
and the arts, Christian year, rituals, and various ministries.
Particularly unique are the wide variety of denominational statements found
throughout the series in relation to various worship topics.]
WEBBER, ROBERT E. Worship is a Verb
WEBBER, ROBERT E. Evangelicals on the
Canterbury Trail
WHITE, JAMES F.
Introduction to Christian Worship. Third edition. Nashville:
Abingdon Press, 2000. [A comprehensive introduction to basic
components of Christian worship, including time, space, music, prayer,
preaching, sacraments, and occasional services. Important historical
and theological insights are highlighted in relation to the topics.]
WHITE, JAMES F. A
Brief History of Christian Worship. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1993.
[A reliable, accessible historical overview of worship practices from the
New Testament period to today. Initiation, public prayer, Eucharist,
Christian time, pastoral rites, leadership, preaching, music, and
architecture are all briefly discussed in relation to various large blocks
of time (e.g., “Middle Ages,” “Reformation Period,” “Modern Times”).]
WHITE, JAMES F.
Protestant Worship: Traditions in Transition. Louisville: Westminster
John Knox Press, 1989. [White sketches the emergence of Lutheran,
Reformed, Anabaptist, Anglican, Separatist and Puritan, Quaker, Methodist,
Frontier, and Pentecostal, worship traditions in this volume. His
insights provide useful historical circumstances and understandings that
will assist with respecting the variety of theological approaches to worship
our congregations exhibit today.]