The Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies

Bibliography on Worship

Edited by Mark A. Torgerson, Ph.D.

May 2007

The Master and Doctor of Worship Studies programs are based significantly on the eight volumes of The Complete Library of Christian Worship.  Numerous articles and bibliographies appear in these volumes.  Because they form a basis of knowledge for our program, they will not be cited again in the reference materials below. The following bibliography covers additional resources (by no means exhaustive), some of which may be required reading for courses in the Master and Doctor of Worship Studies programs.  In light of the fact that Christian worship is always embodied within the cultural context of a community, the resources mentioned in the following bibliography will refer to cultural analyses as well as theological studies.  Many titles could easily be categorized under several “headings,” so it would be wise to explore multiple areas when building a list of possible resources to examine.

 I. General Theological Resources

A.  Introductory Materials

AULEN, GUSTAV. Christus Victor:  An Historical Study of the Three Main Types of the Idea of the Atonement. New York: Collier Books, 1969.  [An examination of how the atonement of Christ has been explained in several ways throughout the history of the Church, highlighting the theology of Luther in particular.]

BALMER, RANDALL.  Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory:  A Journey into the Evangelical Subculture in America.  Fourth edition.  New York:  Oxford University Press, 2006.  [Writing as both a historian and an evangelical believer, Balmer provides a useful description of a whole variety of conservative Protestant congregations.  His insights help to unravel impulses and theological preferences among many evangelicals.  This new edition includes chapters examining the popularity and influence of artist Thomas Kinkade and Pastor Rick Warren.]

FERGUSON, SINCLAIR, DAVID WRIGHT, AND J. I. PACKER, EDS.  New Dictionary of Theology.  Downers Grove:  Intervarsity Press, 1988.  [Over six hundred signed articles addressing a whole range of theological topics.  Written from an evangelical perspective, but providing a good, brief starting point for theological reflection.]

GRENZ, STANLEY J. Theology for the Community of God. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1994.  [Grenz presents the traditional themes of Christian doctrine, God, humankind, Christ, the Holy Spirit, the church, and the last things, all within an emphasis on God's central program for creation, namely, the establishment of community. Grenz blends biblical, historical, and contemporary concerns, providing a coherent vision of the faith that addresses both intellectual and practical issues.]

JOHNSON, ALAN F. and ROBERT E. WEBBER. What Christians Believe: A Biblical and Historical Summary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing Company, 1990.

JOHNSON, LUKE TIMOTHY.  The Creed:  What Christians Believe and Why it Matters.  New York:  Doubleday, 2003.  [An accessible exploration of creedal statements for Christian communities, particularly concerned with their meaning and significance in relation to worship and life.]

LOHSE, BERNHARD. A Short History of Christian Doctrine: From the First Century to the Present. Trans. by F. Ernest Stoeffer. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1978.

OLSON, ROGER E.   The Story of Christian Theology:  Twenty Centuries of Tradition and Reform.  Downers Grove:  Intervarsity Press, 1999.  [A comprehensive, accessible retelling of the development of Christian theology, from the second century to the twentieth.]

OTTO, RUDOLF. The Idea of the Holy. Trans. by John W. Harvey. New York: Oxford University Press, 1958.  [An excellent study of the non-rational dimension of religion.  Otto’s work helps those who identify the Christian faith primarily in terms of ethics, explore the emotive, mysterious realm of God’s reality in relation to the rational.]

PELIKAN, JAROSLAV.  Credo:  Historical and Theological Guide to Creeds and Confessions of Faith in the Christian Tradition.  New Haven:  Yale University Press, 2003.  [A substantial history and explanation of the significance of creedal statements in the life of active Christian communities.]

B.  The Church

BLOESCH, DONALD G.  The Church:  Sacraments, Worship, Ministry, Mission.  Downers Grove:  Intervarsity Press, 2002.  [Representing the sixth volume of a seven volume systematic theology, Bloesch addresses his understanding of ecclesiology in this work.  He articulates his theological understanding of church, discusses issues facing the church today (e.g., authority, feminism, ecumenicity and worship), and offers reflections that seek balance and integrity from an evangelical perspective.]

CLAPP, RODNEY. A Peculiar People: The Church in a Post-Christian Society. Downers Grove, I.L.: Intervarsity Press, 1996.  [Clapp explores the impact of the "culture wars" on the church and, while critical of the methods of many of the evangelical "warriors," sees redeeming value in many of the assertions they make about a distinctive Christian way of life. Clapp redefines liturgy, social ethics and especially evangelism and missions for a postmodern church whose locus is not the individual but the faith community.]

DULLES, AVERY R. Models of the Church, Expanded edition. New York: Doubleday, 1987.  [Dulles articulates and analyzes multiple models used to define the nature and purpose of the Church.  Various models are explained in terms of function, affect on believers, and mission.  A wonderful introduction to the topic of ecclesiology.]

GILBERT, MARLEA, ET. AL.  The Work of the People:  What We Do in Worship and Why.  Bethesda, M.D.:  The Alban Institute, 2006.  [Published in the Vital Worship, Healthy Congregations series from the Alban Institute, four worship practitioners (Gilbert, Eric Myers, Stephanie Perdew and Christopher Grundy) have collaborated on a book exploring fundamental understandings of communal Christian worship and how to express them in healthy patterns.]

HAUERWAS, STANLEY. A Community of Character. Notre Dame, Indiana: University of Notre Dame Press, 1988.  [Using his specialization in ethics, Hauerwas emphasizes how the community of the church must exhibit its theological beliefs with integrity in and through relationships.  The family is a primary model used in this book for seeking to be “church.”]

OGDEN, GREG. The New Reformation: Returning the Ministry to the People of God. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing Company, 1992.  [Ogden argues for a re-visioning of the “priesthood of all believers” as he considers the large number of people in our churches who remain fairly inactive in their faith.  He seeks to mobilize the people of God for the work of Christ, especially in an American context of stress.]

WILSON, JONATHAN.  Why Church Matters:  Worship, Ministry and Mission in Practice.  Grand Rapids:  Brazos Press, 2006.  [Wilson discusses how worship is central to ministry and mission.  He explores worship as work, witness, and warfare and examines its ability to achieve healthy spiritual formation.  Three ritual practices, baptism, communion, and foot-washing, are then examined for their larger implications for living as church.]

C.  Post-Modernity and Theological Reflection

BAKER, JONNY, ET. AL.  Alternative Worship:  Resources from and for the Emerging Church.  Grand Rapids:  Baker Book House, 2004.  (Includes CD)  [Organized around the church year seasons of Advent/Christmas, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost, this volume contains written liturgies, prayers, meditations, music tracks, images, and video loops and animations, as examples of resources used in what is now called, “the Emerging Church.”  Biblical and theological integrity are joined to creativity and technological savvy in these offerings.]

DOCKERY, DAVID S., EDITOR. The Challenge of Postmodernism: An Evangelical Engagement. Second edition.  Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 2001.  [A series of essays by evangelical thinkers, seeking to define and engage a “postmodern” perspective in relation to our culture and church life.  An expanded bibliography is found in this second edition.]

ERICKSON, MILLARD J. Postmodernizing the Faith: Evangelical Responses to the Challenge of Postmodernism. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1998.  [Erickson examines postmodern thought by recounting three negative and three positive reactions to the philosophical movement by evangelical thinkers.  He adds his own assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of each response as he proceeds through each view.]

GRENZ, STANLEY J. A Primer on Postmodernism. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1996.  [An excellent starting point for understanding “postmodernity” and its impact on Christian theological reflection.  Grenz identifies the roots of “postmodern” thought, its ethos, significant advocates, and challenges for the church today.]

GRENZ, STANLEY J.  Renewing the Center:  Evangelical Theology in a Post-Theological Era.  Second edition.  Grand Rapids:  Baker Academic, 2006.  [Grenz investigates the response of the evangelical church to the theological complexity of the Christian landscape today, focusing on a doctrine of the church that can both relate to and be credible in relation to other ecclesial bodies.  This second edition includes examples of how Grenz’s approach is finding appreciation among some postmodern church movements.]

GRENZ, STANLEY J.  The Social God and the Relational Self:  Toward a Theology of the Imago Dei in a Postmodern Context.  Louisville:  Westminster/John Knox, 2001. 

GRENZ, STANLEY J., AND JOHN R. FRANKE.  Beyond Foundationalism:  Shaping Theology in a Postmodern Context.  Louisville:  Westminster/John Knox Press, 2001.

HENDERSON, DAVID W.  Culture Shift:  Communicating God’s Truth to Our Changing World.  Grand Rapids:  Baker Book House, 1999.  [Henderson identifies issues related to American patterns of consumerism, passivity, and individuality, and suggests alternative ways of living as Christians in our culture in light of post-modern assumptions.]

KIMBALL, DAN, ET. AL.  The Emerging Church.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan Publishing House, 2003.  [A good primer for seeking to understand an alternative way of visioning the Church in the world today.  Various characteristics of the “Emerging Church” and its “holistic approach” are described in ways that will spark important conversation for mission-minded congregations.]

KIMBALL, DAN.  Emerging Worship:  Creating Worship Gatherings for New Generations.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan Publishing Company, 2004.  [A useful guide for beginning to understand the “Emerging Church” or “Alternative Worship” movement.  Kimball, pastor of Vintage Faith Church, Santa Cruz, California, provides an understanding of the impulses behind the emerging church and strategies for designing worship that are used in these communities of faith today.]

KNIGHT, HENRY H. III. A Future for Truth: Evangelical Theology in a Postmodern World. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1997.  [Knight examines the historical movement of evangelicalism, and the philosophical movements of modernity and post-modernity, suggesting theological constructs that will help evangelicals navigate life today in relevant ways consistent with the Christian faith.]

LINDBECK, GEORGE; TIMOTHY PHILLIPS; and DENNIS L. OCKHOLM, EDITORS. The Nature of Confession: Evangelicals & Postliberals in Conversation. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 1996.  [A series of essays inviting dialog between evangelical and postliberal theologians on a variety of topics, including epistemology, theological method, and various doctrinal issues.]

McLAREN, BRIAN.  The Church on the Other Side.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan Publishing Company, 2003.  [Formerly titled, “Reinventing Your Church,” this revised and expanded edition offers thirteen strategies for navigating the modern/postmodern transition.  McLaren discusses critical distinctions between renewed, restored, and reinvented churches.  He addresses redefining a church’s mission, explores fresh ways to conceive of and communicate the gospel, and examines ways of entering, understanding, and engaging the postmodern world.]

McLAREN, BRIAN.  A Generous Orthodoxy:  Why I Am a Missional, Evangelical, Post/Protestant, Liberal/Conservative, Mystical/Poetic, Biblical, Charismatic/ Contemplative, Fundamentalist/Calvinist, Anabaptist/Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, Green Incarnational, Depressed-yet-Hopeful, Emergent, Unfinished CHRISTIAN.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan Publishing Company, 2004.  [McLaren continues to provoke theological conversation here, reflecting the dissatisfaction of younger Christians today with the many labels used to differentiate believers from one another.  McLaren challenges the reader to recover a global ecumenical spirit and affirm a core of Christian beliefs common to most traditions.]

McLAREN, BRIAN.  More Ready Than You Realize:  Evangelism as Dance in the Postmodern Matrix.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan Publishing Company, 2002.  [Approaches the art of disciple-making with fresh eyes, seeking to connect to people who embrace the visually-oriented, paradox-tolerant generation associated with “post-modernity.”]

MILLER, M. REX.  The Millenium Matrix:  Reclaiming the Past, Reframing the Future.  San Francisco:  Jossey-Bass, 2004.  [Writing as a communications expert, with training in business and theology, Miller discusses historical shifts in the ways in which information has been gathered and distributed, seeking to highlight the impact that such realities have on worship and spirituality today.]

OSBORNE, KENAN B.  Christian Sacraments in a Postmodern World:  A Theology for the Third Millennium.  New York:  Paulist Press, 1999.  [A sound investigation of the ramifications of post-modern philosophical thinking on the development of sacramental theology for today’s churches.  Familiarity with post-modern philosophical thought would be helpful in reading Osborne.  In part, his goal is to discern how investigation into four areas, “return to the subject, the question of temporality, the limits of language, and Haecceitas, or individuality,” might enhance our understanding of sacramental theology today.]

PECKLERS, KEITH, ED.  Liturgy in a Postmodern World.  New York:  Continuum Publishing, 2003.  [The product of a gathering of international Jesuit scholars in 2002, these fine essays explore issues of worship in a multi-cultural, contemporary world.  This volume is not a philosophical primer, but is an attempt to explore how worship can be enriched as it is developed and celebrated in cultures influenced (to varying degrees) by postmodern values.  Thirteen essays are included in this collection.  Topics include responding to Vatican II liturgical reforms today, film and worship, liturgical inculturation (both from Eastern and Western perspectives), Eucharist, preaching, ecumenism, and inter-faith dialog.]

REDMAN, ROBB.  The Great Worship Awakening:  Singing a New Song in the Postmodern Church.  San Francisco:  Jossey-Bass, 2002.  [Redman examines four trends he finds at work in the North American church today that are contributing to an awakening of worship:  1) the “seeker service” movement; 2) the “praise and worship” movement; 3) the Christian music industry; and, 4) the Liturgical Renewal movement.  Redman’s intention is to analyze, more than describe, these trends and their impact on worship.  He considers issues such as the rapid pace of cultural change today, ethnic and cultural diversity, an emerging postmodern worldview, personal experience, popular culture and new communication media and technologies, in an effort to discern how churches might discover ways of bringing renewal to their corporate worship.]

RIDDELL, MICHAEL, ET. AL.  The Prodigal Project:  Journey Into the Emerging Church.  London:  SPCK, 2000.  (Includes CD)  [Reflections of three church leaders from New Zealand and Australia concerning their sojourn for authentic and relevant expressions of church and worship for younger generations.  An illuminating book for understanding the desires and concerns of those seeking an “alternative” to a perceived static and lifeless organized church.]

SMITH, JR., CHUCK.  The End of the World as We Know It:  Clear Direction for Bold and Innovative Ministry in a Postmodern World.  Colorado Springs:  Waterbrook Press, 2001.

SWEET, LEONARD, ED.  Church in Emerging Culture:  Five Perspectives.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan Publishing Company, 2003.  [Andy Crouch, Brian D. McLaren, Erwin Raphael McManus, Michael Horton, and Frederica Matthewes-Green, each author a chapter in this work reflecting on how they envision the “church” taking shape in light of cultural shifts.]

SWEET, LEONARD.  Post-Modern Pilgrims:  First Century Passion for the Twenty-first Century Church.  Nashville:  Broadman and Holman Publishing, 2000.  [Sweet uses the acronym "E-P-I-C" (Experientially, Participatory, Image-Driven, Connected) to define how our postmodern society functions. Specifically, he offers practical steps for achieving optimal, effective connection with those outside the faith.]

SWEET, LEONARD, J. HASELMAYER, AND BRIAN D. McLAREN.  A is for Abductive:  The Language of the Emerging Church.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan Publishing Company, 2002.

TOMLINSON, DAVE.  Emergentys/Post Evangelical (Emergentys).  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan Publishing Company, 2003.  [Originally published in 1995 by SPCK in England as, The Post-Evangelical, Tomlinson wrestles with questions such as appropriating scripture, discerning truth, approaching the world, and using labels (for example, “liberal” and “conservative”), in the realm of Evangelical Christians.  A thought-provoking book that seeks to redefine a narrowing definition of “evangelical” and reclaim the power of evangelicalism for today.]

VEITH, JR., GENE EDWARD. Postmodern Times: A Christian Guide to Contemporary Thought and Culture (Turning Point Christian Worldview). Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1994.  [Veith introduces the reader to the foundational assumptions of postmodernism, the prevailing philosophical construct in the intellectual community, discussing the dire consequences for a culture which has abandoned age-old definitions of truth and meaning.]

WARD, PETE.  Selling Worship:  How What We Sing Has Changed the Church.  Paternoster, 2005.  [Ward examines the rise and influence of the charismatic movement on evangelical worship in Britain in this work.  He attempts to explain how popular music has come to impact and shape the practice and theology of worship in contemporary circles.  An analysis of its origin and impact are followed by a helpful critique meant to enhance a critical implementation of charismatic impulses (especially through song) today.]

WEBBER, ROBERT E. Ancient-Future Faith: Rethinking Evangelicalism for a Postmodern World. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1999.  [The first title in his Ancient-Future series, Webber articulates concern for the shift from a “modern” to a “postmodern” worldview among Evangelicals in this work.  He addresses the topics of Christ, Church, worship, spirituality, and mission.  Webber identifies important insights he gathers from writings of the first six hundred years of the Church, and applies them to each of the five topics in order to help shape sound evangelical theology in a “postmodern” world.]

WEBBER, ROBERT E., ED.  Listening to the Beliefs of Emerging Churches:  Five Perspectives.  Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing, 2007.  [Five active voices in the emerging church movement, John Burke, Mark Driscoll, Dan Kimball, Doug Pagitt and Karen Ward, share their theological understandings of this contemporary phenomenon in relation to basic doctrines of the church.  Insights into the vision and priorities of the movement emerge from these varying articulations.]

WEBBER, ROBERT E.  The Younger Evangelicals:  Facing the Challenge of the New World.  Grand Rapids:  Baker Book House, 2002.  [An engaging analysis of movements within Evangelical circles over the last fifty years.  Webber identifies characteristics of “traditional,” “pragmatic,” and “younger” evangelicals, identifying how the “younger” movement emerged, what they believe, and the potential they bring to the future of the Church.]

WINTER, RICHARD.  Still Bored in a Culture of Entertainment:  Rediscovering Passion and Wonder.  Downers Grove:  Intervarsity Press, 2002.  [A cultural critique of our society, probing the roots of boredom in a media saturated environment.  Winter goes on to suggest ways in which we might counteract boredom, seeking life with passion and wonder.]

II.  General Introductory Resources for Worship Study

BASDEN, PAUL A., ED.  Exploring the Worship Spectrum:  Six Views.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan Publishing Company, 2004.  [Six worship models are represented by six different representatives in this volume (author of each view noted in parentheses):  Formal-Liturgical (Paul Zahl); Traditional Hymn-Based (Harold Best); Contemporary Music-Driven (Joe Horness); Charismatic (Don Williams); Blended (Robert Webber); Emerging (Sally Morganthaler).  The reader is able to compare and contrast each model determining the strengths and weaknesses of each understanding.  A useful entry point for understanding the prevailing models of worship embodied in our churches today.]

BERKLEY, JAMES D.  Leadership Handbook of Preaching and Worship:  Practical Insights from a Cross Section of Ministry Leaders.  Grand Rapids:  Baker Book House, 1997.  [Published in conjunction with Christianity Today, a collection of two hundred articles by significant church leaders that address a host of issues related to preaching, worship, music, the Lord’s Supper, baptism, weddings, and funerals.]

BYARS, RONALD P.  Christian Worship:  Glorifying and Enjoying God.  Geneva Press, 2000.  [Commissioned by the Office of Theology and Worship of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), this work explores the theological foundation for worship, focused on Word and Sacrament.  Byars discusses the motivation, shape, and future of worship for Christians today, paying particular attention to the role that God’s Word, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper, have in our celebrations.]

Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry:  Faith and Order Paper No. 111.  Geneva, Switzerland:  World Council of Churches, 1982.  [A fundamental statement expressing the theological convergence of the ecumenical movement at work in the Christian church on the issues of baptism, Eucharist, and the forms and orders of ministry.]

BRADSHAW, PAUL, EDITOR.  The New Westminster Dictionary of Liturgy and Worship.  Second edition.  Philadelphia:  Westminster/John Knox Press, 2002.  [A useful reference tool for brief articles on terms related to Christian worship history, theology, and practices.  This new edition includes recent scholarly insights and updated bibliographies in the signed articles.]

DIX, GREGORY.  Shape of the Liturgy.  New edition.  New York:  Continuum, 2004.  [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.  The new edition includes citations from some recent critical studies.]

FINK, PETER E., EDITOR.  The New Dictionary of Sacramental Worship.  Collegeville, M.N.:  Michael Glazier/The Liturgical Press, 1997.  [An excellent resource of signed articles related to topics of Christian worship, particularly oriented to a Roman Catholic perspective.  Special attention is paid to changes that have occurred in the wake of Vatican II and implementation of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy.]

JONES, CHESLYN, GEOFFREY WAINWRIGHT, EDWARD YARNOLD, AND PAUL BRADSHAW, EDITORS. The Study of Liturgy.  Revised edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 1992.  [A collection of essays exploring Christian worship from its roots to the twentieth century, by Anglican, Roman Catholic, and Methodist scholars.  Historical and theological developments are addressed, with sections addressing issues related to initiation, Eucharist, ordination, the Divine Office, the calendar, and the setting of the liturgy.]

LIESCH, BARRY WAYNE. People in the Presence of God: Models and Directions for Worship. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing Company, 1988.  [Liesch offers biblical perspective, historical awareness, musical and artistic sensitivity, authentic reverence, and creative stimulation in this book, seeking to promote the renewal of worship according to biblical models.]

MITMAN, F. RUSSELL.  Worship in the Shape of Scripture.  New York:  Pilgrim Press, 2001.  [Mitman explores the tremendous significance that Scripture could, and should, have in guiding our worship events.  He discusses the formative power of the biblical text on worship, highlighting its purpose, role and potential for celebrations today.  He also examines the interplay between music, gesture, and space, in relation to the Word.]

PARRY, ROBIN.  Worshipping Trinity:  Coming Back to the Heart of Worship.  Paternoster, 2005.  [A focused study on the role of the Trinity in relation to Christian theology and worship.  Specific portions address ways in which a Trinitarian focus might enhance aspects of worship such as singing, prayer, Eucharistic celebrations, reading Scripture, preaching and the arts.]

THOMPSON, BARD, EDITOR.  A Bibliography of Christian Worship.  Metuchen, N.J.:  The Scarecrow Press, 1988.  [One of the most comprehensive bibliographies for historical and theological resources connected to Christian worship.  Limited to pre-1988, but excellent.]

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.]

TOZER, A. W. Whatever Happened to Worship? Ed. by Gerald B. Smith. Camp Hill, P. A..: Christian Publications, 1985.  [Originally preached as a series of sermons, Tozer’s remarks identify worship as central to the life of the Church.  He emphasizes the focus of worship on God, the need for humanity to engage fully in worship, and sees worship as lived out in our lives each day.  An inspirational and thought-provoking book.]

UNDERHILL, EVELYN. Worship. New York:  The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1989.  [First published in 1936, Underhill has produced an examination of the nature, practice, and history of Christian worship that is accessible and moving.  Her knowledge of Christian spirituality is particularly engaging as she reflects on embodying Christian beliefs in tangible practices.]

VAN OLST, E. H. The Bible and Liturgy. Trans. by John Vriend. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1991.

WAINWRIGHT, GEOFFREY. Doxology: The Praise of God In Worship, Doctrine, and Life; a Systematic Theology. New York: Oxford University Press, 1980. 

WEBBER, ROBERT E. Blended Worship: Achieving Substance and Relevance in Worship . Peabody, M.A.: Hendrickson Publishers, 1996. (Original Title: The Worship Phenomenon)  [Aimed at initiating renewal in worship, Webber emphasizes the importance of the biblical content of our worship through a variety of stylistic expressions.  He makes practical suggestions for integrating various expressions in a number of areas, such as, through inclusion of the arts, use of the Christian year, and the use of sacred actions in worship.]

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 Old and New: A Biblical, Historical, and Practical Introduction.  Revised edition.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan Publishing Company Publishing, 1994.  [In this revision of a 1982 publication, Webber examines the biblical foundations of worship, a biblical theology of worship, a brief history of worship, and the practice of worship.]

WEBBER, ROBERT E. Worship Is a Verb: Eight Principles for Transforming Worship. Second edition.  Peabody, M.A.: Hendrickson Publishers, 1995.  [An excellent study of eight fundamental principles of worship, emphasizing the dynamic quality and participatory nature of our celebrations.  This is an important starting point for one’s exploration of Christian worship in general.]

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, SUSAN J.  Foundations of Christian Worship.  Louisville:  Westminster/John Knox Press, 2006.  [A sound introduction to the study of Christian worship.  Following reflections that consider important biblical, historical, theological and anthropological insights, White examines prayer, creeds, music, time, ritual and art.  The human life cycle and its relationship to worship is addressed.  Challenges presented by ecumenism, pluralism and the use of language are also raised.   Case studies are provided to stimulate conversation and exploration of many aspects of worship today.]

III. Historical Resources for Worship Study

A.  General Historical Surveys

KLAUSER, THEODOR.  A Short History of the Western Liturgy:  An Account and some Reflections.  New York:  Oxford University Press, 1979.  [A well-written, brief account of the development of the Latin rite in the Western church from the Apostolic period to the Second Vatican Council.  A significant bibliography accompanies the text.]

METZGER, MARCEL.  History of the Liturgy:  The Major Stages.  Trans. Madeleine Beaumont.  Collegeville:  Liturgical Press, 1997.  [Primarily a discussion of Roman Catholic liturgical development, particularly focused on developments from the Apostolic to the Medieval periods.]

SENN, FRANK C. Christian Liturgy: Catholic and Evangelical. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1997.  [An excellent detailed historical analysis of primarily the development of Western Christian liturgy, seeking to emphasize the importance of tradition and renewal.  Senn incorporates insights from multiple disciplines in recounting important expressions and changes in practice.]

SENN, FRANK C.  The People’s Work:  A Social History of the Liturgy.  Minneapolis:  Augsburg/Fortress, 2006.  [Senn delves into the complexity of the ways in which faith and culture influence one another in this analysis.  His comprehensive knowledge of liturgical history allows him to add cross-disciplinary insights to the discussion of the development of the practice of worship in the lives of the faithful throughout many historical periods.]

STRINGER, MARTIN D.  A Sociological History of Christian Worship.  New York:  Cambridge University Press, 2005.  [Stringer seeks to establish the social and cultural contexts within which worship has developed.  Case studies help to illuminate particular elements of worship or focus on theoretical applications.]

THOMPSON, BARD.  Liturgies of the Western Church.  Cleveland:  Meridian Books, 1961.  [A rich source of primary source materials drawn from significant historical time periods, including selections from early church sources, Latin and English versions of the Mass, and many reformed services (e.g., from Luther, Zwingli, Bucer, Calvin, the prayer books of King Edward VI, Knox, the English Puritans, “The Westminster Directory,” Baxter, and John Wesley).]

WAINWRIGHT, GEOFFREY, AND KAREN WESTERFIELD TUCKER, EDS.  The Oxford History Christian Worship.  New York:  Oxford University Press, 2006.  [A comprehensive (800 pages) history of the origins and development of Christian worship to the present day.  Articles by many contributors examine the liturgical traditions of Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant traditions.  Over 200 photographs and 10 maps accompany the text.  The development of worship is traced in Europe, North America, Latin America, Africa, East Asia, and the Pacific. Social and cultural contexts and material culture and the arts are considered.]

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. Documents of Christian Worship: Descriptive and Interpretive Sources. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1992.  [A useful collection of primary source materials related to worship, organized by topics:  teaching, time, space, prayer, service of the Word, sacraments in general, initiation, Eucharist, and occasional services.]

WHITE, SUSAN J.  A History of Women in Christian Worship.  New York:  The Pilgrim Press, 2003.  [A long overdue analysis of the significant role that women have played in the historical development and practice of Christian worship.  White highlights the difficulties present in trying to “locate” the presence of women in historical studies, but notes important figures and sources which shed light on many overlooked leaders.]

B.  Biblical and Early Church Worship Studies

BRADSHAW, PAUL F.  Early Christian Worship:  A Basic Introduction to Ideas and Practice.  Collegeville, M.N.:  The Liturgical Press, 1996.  [A helpful introduction to early church worship practices, including descriptions of why they worshipped in particular ways.]

BRADSHAW, PAUL F.  Eucharistic Origins.  Oxford:  Oxford University Press, 2004.  [Bradshaw draws on his extensive study of early church Eucharistic materials to challenge Gregory Dix’s “classic” explanation of the origin and meaning of celebrations of the Lord’s Supper.  Whereas Dix developed a theory positing a uniformity of development from an early date, Bradshaw finds diversity in the second and third centuries that was largely overlooked.  Bradshaw articulates a substantial challenge of many assertions that deserves to be considered.]

BRADSHAW, PAUL F.  The Search for the Origins of Christian Worship:  Sources and Methods for the Study of Early Liturgy.  Second edition.  New York:  Oxford University Press, 2002.  [A revision of an important work that seeks to argue for a diversity of expression of worship practices in the first four centuries of the church.  This edition includes a rewriting of Bradshaw’s “ten principles for interpreting early Christian liturgical evidence” and two new chapters, “Ministry and Ordination” and “The Effects of the Coming of Christendom in the Fourth Century.”  Bibliographies are also updated in the new edition.]

BRADSHAW, PAUL F., AND LAWRENCE A. HOFFMAN.  The Making of Jewish and Christian Worship.  Notre Dame:  University of Notre Dame Press, 1991.  [An engaging series of essays examining methodologies of investigating the origins of worship as well as insights into the evolution of Jewish and Christian worship patterns.]

BRADSHAW, PAUL F., MAXWELL E. JOHNSON AND L. EDWARD PHILLIPS.  The Apostolic Tradition.  Minneapolis:  Fortress Press, 2002.  [A critical edition of this third century church order published in the Hermeneia commentary series.  Three excellent liturgical historians have collaborated on this analysis of an important guide to early church practice.  Various translations of the original document and comparisons with adaptations of the original texts are all included in this examination.]

BRUEGGEMANN, WALTER. Israel's Praise: Doxology Against Idolatry and Ideology. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1988.

BRUEGGEMANN, WALTER.  Worship in Ancient Israel:  The Essential Guide.  Nashville:  Abingdon Press, 2005. 

CULLMAN, OSCAR.  Early Christian Worship.  London:  SCM Press, 1953.

DANIELOU, JEAN.  The Bible and the Liturgy.  Notre Dame:  University of Notre Dame Press, 1956.

ERVINE, ROBERTA R., ED.  Worship Traditions in Armenia and the Neighboring Christian East:  An International Symposium in Honor of the 40^th Anniversary of St. Nersess Armenian Seminary.  Crestwood, N.Y.:  St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2006.  [Byzantine, East Syrian and West Syrian worship practices as developed in Armenia and the surrounding area are explored in this collection of scholarly essays.  Contributors include Robert F. Taft, Gabriele Winkler, Maxwell Johnson, Stefanos Alexopoulos, Lizette Larson-Miller, and Brother Stavros of New Skete.]

HAHN, FERDINAND.  The Worship of the Early Church.  Philadelphia:  Fortress Press, 1973.

HILL, ANDREW E. Enter His Courts with Praise: Old Testament Worship for the New Testament Church. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1996.  [An excellent introduction to the variety of practices and understandings of biblical worship, with an eye toward renewing Christian worship today.]

HOLLADAY, WILLIAM L. The Psalms through Three Thousand Years: Prayerbook of a Cloud of Witnesses. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1996.

JUNGMANN, JOSEF A.  The Early Liturgy:  To the Time of Gregory the Great.  Notre Dame:  University of Notre Dame Press, 1959.

MARTIN, RALPH P. Worship in the Early Church. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1975.

McENTIRE, MARK AND JOEL EMERSON.  Raising Cain, Fleeing Egypt, and Fighting Philistines:  The Old Testament in Popular Music.  Smyth and Helwys Publishing, 2006.  [The authors seek to identify Old Testament allusions in contemporary songs, linking particular songs with scripture references for further study and reflection.]

MOWINCKEL, SIGMUND.  The Psalms in Israel’s Worship.  Grand Rapids:  Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004.  [A revised and updated reissue of a classic study of the Hebrew Psalms, locating them in the worship life of the Israelite Temple.]

OWENS, RON. Return to Worship: Letters to the Church. Nashville: Broadman and Holman Publishing, 1999.

PETERSON, DAVID. Engaging with God: A Biblical Theology of Worship. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1992.

QUASTEN, JOHANNES.  Music and Worship in Pagan and Christian Antiquity.  Washington, D.C.:  National Association of Pastoral Musicians, 1983.

ROSS, ALLEN P.  Recalling the Hope of Glory:  Biblical Worship from the Garden to the New Creation.  Kregel Publishing, 2006.  [A systematic exploration of biblical passages seeking insight into the fullness of worship.]

SEERVELD, CALVIN.  Voicing God’s Psalms.  Grand Rapids:  Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2004.  With CD.  [Published in the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Liturgical Studies Series, Seerveld provides original translations of 37 psalms to be used in contemporary worship settings (arranged in nine thematic categories).  Notes for each psalm set the historical context and make suggestions for use today.]

STAPERT, CALVIN R.  A New Song for an Old World:  Musical Thought in the Early Church.  Grand Rapids:  Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2006.  [Published in the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Liturgical Studies Series, Stapert examines the approach that early Christian leaders (such as Clement, Tertullian, Chrysostom and Augustine) took in relation to navigating the inclusion of music in worship.  The influence of pagan cultures on early Christians is contrasted with contemporary dilemmas, yielding wisdom to guide choice-making today.]

STEWART-SYKES, ALISTAIR.  Hippolytus:  On the Apostolic Tradition.  Crestwood:  St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2001.  [A readable and informative investigation of an early church order traditionally attributed to the church at Rome from the third century.]

VAN OLST, E.H.  The Bible and Liturgy.  Grand Rapids:  Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991.

WILKINSON, JOHN.  Egeria’s Travels.  London:  SPCK, 1971.  [A record of the travels of a nun from the Western part of Europe (perhaps Spain) to the churches and cities of the East, including Constantinople, Antioch and locations throughout Palestine and Egypt.  Egeria is likely to have traveled between AD 381-84.  She was fascinated with the many ways in which Christians worshipped in various locations and records those celebrations she found noteworthy.]

WITVLIET, JOHN.  The Biblical Psalms in Christian Worship:  A Brief Introduction and Guide to Resources.  Grand Rapids:  Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2006.  [Published in the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Liturgical Studies Series, this volume explores historical, theological and pastoral issues related to a renewed use of the psalms in Christian worship, with attention to concerns emerging from congregations who value both historical and contemporary expressions.]

C.  Middle Ages Worship Studies

BALDOVIN, JOHN F.  The Urban Character of Christian Worship:  The Origins, Development, and Meaning of Stational Liturgy.  Orientalia Christiana Analecta 228.  Rome:  Pontifical Institutum Studiorum Orientalium, 1987.  [A helpful exploration of the development of worship practices in the urban environments of Jerusalem, Rome and Constantinople from the early fourth to the late tenth centuries.  Special focus is placed upon those worship events marked at churches, shrines or public places (hence, exhibiting mobility) celebrating a particular feast day, fast day or commemoration involving the presence of the local bishop.  Many insights into the gradual elaboration of worship can be gained through this thoughtful analysis.]

HARPER, JOHN.  The Forms and Orders of Western Liturgy from the Tenth to the Eighteenth Century:  A Historical Introduction and Guide for Students and Musicians.  Oxford:  Clarendon Press, 1991.  [A well articulated analysis of the development of Western liturgical practice of the Medieval church, including chapters on the calendar, liturgical books, the Psalter, the Divine Office, and the Mass.  Particular attention is paid to the role of music in liturgical celebrations.  Tridentine and Anglican reforms receive attention.  The latter portion of the book explains the complexity surrounding the establishment of normative liturgical texts.]

MACY, GARY.  Treasures from the Storeroom:  Medieval Religion and the Eucharist.  Collegeville, M.N.:  Pueblo/The Liturgical Press, 1999.  [An excellent re-examination of the issues related to the celebration and understanding of the Eucharist in the medieval church.]

MAAG, ROBIN, AND JOHN WITVLIET, EDS.  Worship in Medieval and Early Modern Europe:  Change and Continuity in Religious Practice.  Notre Dame:  University of Notre Dame Press, 2004.  [A collection of essays by the editors and others, including K. Burreson, M. Fassler, S. Felch, F. Senn, and B. Spinks.  The essays seek to explore the societal and confessional norms that motivated Christians to either maintain or change traditional Catholic practices of the time.  Primary sources accompany the essays for further illumination.]

TAFT, ROBERT F.  Beyond East and West:  Problems in Liturgical Understanding.  Washington D.C.:  The Pastoral Press, 1984.

VOGEL, CYRILLE.  Medieval Liturgy:  An Introduction to the Sources.  Washington D.C.:  The Pastoral Press, 1986.

D.  Reformation Church Worship Studies

CALVIN, JEAN.  Institutes of the Christian Religion.  Two Volumes.  John T. McNeill, ed.  Philadelphia:  The Westminster Press, 1960.

CUMING, G.J.  A History of Anglican Liturgy.  London:  Macmillan Publishing, 1982.

CUMING, G.J.  The Godly Order:  Texts and Studies Relating to the Book of Common Prayer.  London:  SPCK, The Alcuin Club, 1983.

DAVIES, HORTON.  Worship and Theology in England: From Cranmer to Hooker, 1534-1603.  Volume one.  Princeton:  Princeton University Press, 1970.

ESTEP, WILLIAM R.  The Anabaptist Story:  An Introduction to Sixteenth-Century Anabaptism.  Third revised edition.  Grand Rapids:  Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1996.

JASPER, RONALD C.  The Development of the Anglican Liturgy, 1662-1980.  London:  SPCK, 1989.

KLAASSEN, WALTER.  Anabaptism in Outline:  Selected Primary Sources.  Scottsdale, P.A.:  Herald Press, 1981.

KLAASSEN, WALTER.  Biblical and Theological Bases for Worship in the Believers’ Church.  Newton, K.S.:  Faith and Life Press, 1978.

LUTHER, MARTIN.  Luther’s Works.  Jaroslav Pelikan, ed.  Saint Louis:  Concordia Publishing House, 1955-1986.  [See especially volumes 35-38, and 53, for Luther’s reflections on liturgy.]

MELANCHTHON, PHILIP AND MARTIN BUCER.  Melanchthon and Bucer.  Revised edition.  Wilhelm Pauck, ed.  Philadelphia:  The Westminster Press, 1981.

OLD, HUGHES OLIPHANT.  The Patristic Roots of Reformed Worship.  Zurich:  Theologische Verlag, 1974.

OLD, HUGHES OLIPHANT.  Worship Reformed According to Scripture.  Louisville:  Westminster/John Knox Press, 2002.  [A revised and expanded version of his earlier 1984 edition, Olds recalls a history of worship, explores several components of worship in depth, and suggests ways in which worship could be renewed today in light of impulses found in the Reformed tradition.]

PIPKIN AND YODER, EDS.  Balthasar Hubmaier:  Theologian of Anabaptism.  Scottsdale, P.A.:  Herald Press, 1989.

SELL, ALAN P. F., ED., WITH DAVID J. HALL AND IAN SELLERS.  Protestant Nonconformist Texts:  1550 to 1700.  Volume one.  Aldershot, Hampshire:  Ashgate Publishing, 2007.  [Addresses the development of non-conformist groups in England and Wales.  Covers the period of the 16^th and 17^th centuries, including texts from emerging Congregationalist, Baptist, Presbyterian and Quaker sources.]

SIMMONS, MENNO.  Complete Writings of Menno Simmons.  Scottsdale, P.A.:  Herald Press, 1956.

THOMPSON, NICHOLAS.  Eucharistic Sacrifice And Patristic Tradition In The Theology Of Martin Bucer 1534-1546.  Leiden:  Brill Academic Publishers, 2004.

VAJTA, VILMOS.  Luther on Worship:  An Interpretation.  Philadelphia:  Fortress Press, 1958.

WANDEL, LEE PALMER.  The Eucharist in the Reformation.  Cambridge:  Cambridge University Press, 2005.  [Palmer analyzes interpretations of the eucharistic words of Jesus Christ from Lutheran, Reformed and Catholic perspectives in this book.  Consequences related to the varying interpretations are articulated, seeking understanding in relation to the formation of different religious identities that emerged from the debate.]

WHITE, JAMES F. Roman Catholic Worship: Trent to Today. Second edition.  Collegeville, M.N.:  The Liturgical Press, 2003.  [A useful overview of liturgical developments in the Roman Catholic tradition over the last four and one half centuries.  White’s writing is clear and balanced.]

ZWINGI, HULDRYCH [ULRICH] and HEINRICH BULLINGER.  Zwingli and Bullinger.  Geoffrey W. Bromiley, ed.  Philadelphia:  The Westminster Press, 1953.

ZWINGLI, ULRICH.  Commentary on True and False Religion.  Durham, N.C.:  Labyrinth, 1981.

E.  Modern Church Worship Studies

ADAMS, DOUG.  Meeting House to Camp Meeting:  Toward a History of American Free Church Worship from 1620-1835.  Saratoga:  Modern Liturgy Resource Publications, 1981.

BARCLAY, ROBERT.  An Apology for the true Christian divinity, being an explanation and vindication of the principles and doctrines of the people called Quakers.  Philadelphia:  Friends’ Book Store, 1908.

BORGEN, OLE E.  John Wesley on the Sacraments:  A Theological Study.  Grand Rapids:  Francis Asbury Press, 1985.

BUGNINI, ANNIBALE.  The Reform of the Liturgy, 1948-1975.  Collegeville, M.N.  The Liturgical Press, 1990.

DANDELION, PINK.  The Liturgies of Quakerism.  Aldershot, Hampshire:  Ashgate Publishing, 2005.  [Published in the “Liturgy, Worship and Society” series, this is an analysis of liturgical expression within a tradition that elevated silence in worship and forbid certain historical external ritual practices.  The author examines both historical and contemporary practice.]

DAVIES, HORTON.  Worship and Theology in England:  From Andrewes to Baxter and Fox, 1603-1690.  Volume two.  Princeton:  Princeton University Press, 1975.  [Also published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company in 1996.]

DAVIES, HORTON.  Worship and Theology in England:  From Watts and Wesley to Maurice, 1690-1850.  Volume three.  Princeton:  Princeton University Press, 1961.  [Also published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company in 1996.]

DAVIES, HORTON.  Worship and Theology in England:  From Newman to Martineau, 1850-1900.  Volume four.  Princeton:  Princeton University Press, 1962.  [Also published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company in 1996.]

DAVIES, HORTON.  Worship and Theology in England:  The Ecumenical Century, 1900-1965.  Volume five.  Princeton:  Princeton University Press, 1965.  [Also published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company in 1996, with the addition of material from 1965 to the present.]

DAVIES, HORTON.  The Worship of the American Puritans, 1629-1730.  New York:  P. Lang, 1990.

Documents of the Liturgy, 1963-1979:  Conciliar, Papal, and Curial Texts.  Collegeville, M.N.:  The Liturgical Press, 1982.

FENWICK, JOHN R. K. and BRYAN D. SPINKS. Worship In Transition: The Liturgical Movement In the Twentieth Century. New York: Continuum Publishing Group, 1995.  [An articulate guide for understanding recent trends in worship development.  Especially helpful for discerning the convergence in worship practices of the last fifty years.]

GOODWIN, EVERETT C.  Down by the Riverside:  A Brief History of Baptist Faith.  Valley Forge:  Judson Press, 2002.

HALL, FRANCIS, ED.  Quaker Worship in North America.  Richmond, I.N.:  Friends United Press, 1979.

HATCHETT, MARION J.  Commentary on the American Prayer Book.  New York:  Seabury Press, 1980.

HATCHETT, MARION J.  The Making of the First American Book of Common Prayer, 1776-1789.  New York:  Seabury Press, 1982.

HUGHES, KATHLEEN, ED.  How Firm a Foundation:  Voices of the Early Liturgical Movement.  Chicago:  Liturgy Training Publications, 1990.  [A collection of brief essays that yield helpful insights into individuals pivotal to modern Catholic worship renewal.]

LEONARD, BILL S.  Baptist Ways:  A History.  Valley Forge:  Judson Press, 2003.

The Liturgy Documents, Volume One.  Fourth edition.  Chicago:  Liturgy Training Publications, 2004.  [A significant collection of important Roman Catholic liturgical materials that seek to apply the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.  The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, General Instruction of the Roman Missal (2002), Music in Catholic Worship, Liturgical Music Today, and Built of Living Stones, among others, are included in this new edition.]

The Liturgy Documents, Volume Two.  Chicago:  Liturgy Training Publications, 1999.  [A second volume of important Roman Catholic liturgical materials that seek to apply the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.  Includes thirteen documents, published from 1969-1998.]

McBETH, H. LEON.  The Baptist Heritage:  Four Centuries of Baptist Witness.  Nashville:  Broadman Press, 1987.

McBETH, H. LEON.  A Sourcebook for Baptist Heritage.  Nashville:  Broadman Press, 1990.

ROUSSAKIS, PETER E.  Classic Worship with Brethren in Mind.  Burlington, I.N.:  Meetinghouse Press, 2005.

RUTH, LESTER.  A Little Heaven Below:  Worship at Early Methodist Quarterly Meetings.  Nashville:  Kingswood Books, 2000.  [Using largely primary sources in this excellent study, Ruth highlights the variety and significance of worship expressions practiced in these ecumenical gatherings.  His insights have challenged a more static historical caricature, introducing a vibrancy to worship that had been overlooked or ignored.]

SELL, ALAN P. F., ED., WITH DAVID J. HALL AND IAN SELLERS.  Protestant Nonconformist Texts:  The Eighteenth Century.  Volume two.  Aldershot, Hampshire:  Ashgate Publishing, 2006.  [Addresses the development of non-conformist groups in England and Wales.  Covers the period of the 18^th century, including texts from Congregationalist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist and Quaker sources.]

SELL, ALAN P. F., ED., WITH DAVID J. HALL AND IAN SELLERS.  Protestant Nonconformist Texts:  The Nineteenth Century.  Volume three.  Aldershot, Hampshire:  Ashgate Publishing, 2006.  [Addresses the development of non-conformist groups in England and Wales.  Covers the period of the 19^th century, including texts from Congregationalist, Baptist, Methodist, Quaker, Unitarian and other sources.]

SELL, ALAN P. F., ED., WITH DAVID J. HALL AND IAN SELLERS.  Protestant Nonconformist Texts:  The Twentieth Century.  Volume four.  Aldershot, Hampshire:  Ashgate Publishing, 2007.  [Addresses the development of non-conformist groups in England and Wales.  Covers the period of the 20^th century, including texts from many sources illustrating a wrestling with both decline and engagement in contemporary debates.]

SPINKS, BRYAN D.  Freedom or Order?  The Eucharistic Liturgy in English Congregationalism, 1645-1980.  Allison Park, P.A.:  Pickwick Publications, 1984.

STEVENSON, KENNETH, AND BRIAN SPINKS, EDS.  The Identity of Anglican Worship.  Harrisburg, P.A.:  Morehouse Publishers, 1991.

TORBET, ROBERT G.  History of the Baptists.  Third edition.  Valley Forge:  Judson Press, 1973.

TUZIK, ROBERT L., ED.  How Firm a Foundation:  Leaders of the Liturgical Movement.  Chicago:  Liturgy Training Publications, 1990.  [A collection of short essays featuring critical figures in the rise and promotion of liturgical renewal in the Catholic tradition in the 19^th and 20^th centuries.]

VIAL, THEODORE M.  Liturgy Wars:  Ritual Theory and Protestant Reform in Nineteenth-Century Zurich.  Routledge, 2003.

VISCHER, LUKAS, ED.  Christian Worship in Reformed Churches Past and Present.  Grand Rapids:  Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2003.  [Published in the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Liturgical Studies Series, Vischer has compiled an outstanding collection of essays by contemporary scholars (drawn from an international conference) discussing the shape of worship in the Reformed tradition.  Historical insights are accompanied by contemporary implications for renewal in this work.]

WESTERFIELD TUCKER, KAREN B.  American Methodist Worship.  Oxford:  Oxford University Press, 2001.  [Westerfield Tucker has provided a comprehensive examination of the development of Methodist worship within a particular North American context in this book.]

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.]

IV.  Theological Resources for Worship Study

A.  General Introductions to Liturgical Theology

ATKINS, PETER.  Memory and Liturgy:  The Place of Memory in the Composition and Practice of Liturgy.  Aldershot, Hampshire:  Ashgate Publishing, 2003.  [Published in the Liturgy, Worship and Society series, this book looks at the special role that memory plays in the development and experience of worship.]

CHAN, SIMON.  Liturgical Theology:  The Church as Worshiping Community.  Downers Grove:  Intervarsity Press, 2006.  [Chan issues a call to evangelicals to develop a mature theological understanding of the church in light of its identity as a community of worship.  The larger Christian tradition is viewed here as a source that can help evangelicals better understand the fullness of worship and the implications of this understanding for being church in the world.

COOKE, BERNARD. Sacraments and Sacramentality. Mystic, C.T.: Twenty-Third Publications, 1994.  [An excellent primer for understanding the importance of sacraments in relation to the human person and the theological significance of the communal rituals of the Christian church.]

COOKE, BERNARD and GARY MACY.  Christian Symbol and Ritual:  An Introduction.  New York:  Oxford University Press, 2005.  [Bernard and Macy provide a substantial discussion of celebration, ritual, and symbol, in our ordinary lives and in relation to the Christian faith.  The authors examine the significance of friendship, worship, and healing in relation to symbol and ritual.  And useful distinctions between official communal rituals and private rituals are explored.]   

FAGERBURG, DAVID W. What Is Liturgical Theology? A Study in Methodology. Collegeville, Minn.: Liturgical Press, 1992.

FORD, DAVID R. AND DANIEL W. HARDY.  Living in Praise:  Worshipping and Knowing God.  Second edition.  Grand Rapids:  Baker Academic, 2005.  [First published in 1984 (an additional epilogue is virtually the only change from the first edition), Ford and Hardy provide an in-depth study of the act of praising God, establishing a fundamental biblical and theological foundation for the very activity itself.  Christian identity, evil, knowing God and prophecy are a sampling of topics that help to focus their reflections.  The authors provide a dense and fruitful exploration of an integral aspect of human existence.]

HUGHES, GRAHAM.  Worship as Meaning:  A Liturgical Theology for Late Modernity.  Cambridge:  Cambridge University Press, 2003.  [Hughes delves into liturgical constructions of meaning within the larger context of late twentieth-century meaning theory in this work.  Making particular use of the writings of Charles Peirce, he employs semiotic theory to analyze the construction, transmission and apprehension of meaning within an actual worship service.]

KAVANAGH, AIDAN. On Liturgical Theology (Hale Memorial Lectures of Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, 1981). New York: Pueblo, 1984.

LATHROP, GORDON W.  Holy Ground:  A Liturgical Cosmology.  Minneapolis:  Fortress Press, 2003.  [In this third treatise of liturgical theology, Lathrop explores the extent to which the central symbols and interactions of Christian liturgy yield, for their participants, a new proposal for their understanding and experience of the world.]

LATHROP, GORDON W.  Holy People:  A Liturgical Ecclesiology.  Minneapolis:  Fortress Press, 1999.

LATHROP, GORDON W. Holy Things: A Liturgical Theology. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1993.

OLD, HUGHES OLIPHANT. Themes and Variations for a Christian Doxology (Clinton Lectures, 1989, University of Dubuque Theological Seminary). Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1992.

SALIERS, DON E. Worship as Theology: Foretaste of Glory Divine. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994.  [Saliers focuses on specific dimensions of liturgical action here, seeking to identify differences between more formal worship traditions (liturgical/sacramental) and less formal traditions (‘free church’/evangelical).]

SCHMEMANN, ALEXANDER. For the Life of the World: Sacraments and Orthodoxy. Crestwood, N.Y.: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1988.  [An excellent initial exposure to the theological understanding and significance of sacraments in Eastern Orthodox worship.]

SCHMEMANN, ALEXANDER. Introduction to Liturgical Theology. Crestwood, N.Y.: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1986.  [A classic introduction to the theological meaning and purpose of the liturgical life and practices of Eastern Orthodoxy.]

VAN DYK, LEANNE, EDITOR.  A More Profound Alleluia:  Theology and Worship in Harmony.  Grand Rapids:  Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2005.  [Published in the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Liturgical Studies Series, this collection of essays by the editor and contributors such as John Witvliet, William Dyrness, Ronald Byars, Martha Moore-Keish, and David Stubbs, pairs elements of worship with larger theological issues (such as the Trinity, Christology, and Ecclesiology).  The goal of these essays is to increase the theological understanding and significance of our worship celebrations.]

VANDER ZEE, LEONARD.  Christ, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper:  Recovering the Sacraments for Evangelical Worship.  Downer’s Grove:  Intervarsity Press, 2004.  [Emphasizes the connection between baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and the continuing ministry of Jesus Christ.  Vander Zee encourages an intentional focus on sacramental celebrations in seeking a more wholistic approach to faith and the renewal of worship.]

VARGHESE, BABY.  West Syrian Liturgical Theology.  Aldershot, Hampshire:  Ashgate Publishing, 2004.  [As a volume in the “Liturgy, Worship and Society” series, this book examines the theological orientation of an ancient and important Eastern liturgical tradition.

VOGEL, DWIGHT.  Primary Sources of Liturgical Theology:  A Reader.  Collegeville, M.N.:  The Liturgical Press, 2000.

WAINWRIGHT, GEOFFREY. Doxology, the Praise of God in Worship, Doctrine and Life: A Systematic Theology. New York: Oxford University Press, 1984.

WALLACE, RONALD.  Calvin’s Doctrine of the Word and Sacrament.  Wipf and Stock Publishers, 1997.

WHITE, JAMES F.  The Sacraments in Protestant Practice and Faith.  Nashville:  Abingdon Press, 1999.  [White provides a clear and helpful investigation of the sacraments of baptism and Eucharist within a variety of Reformation traditions.  His descriptions and differentiations are helpful for today, as we consider the potential the sacraments have for contemporary worship renewal.]

WITVLIET, JOHN D.  Worship Seeking Understanding: Windows into Christian Practice .  Grand Rapids:  Baker Book House, 2003.  [A collection of some of the best essays that Witvliet has published over the last ten years.  The essays address a variety of topics, paying attention to biblical studies, theological issues, and pastoral care.  Witvliet successfully navigates between theory and practice, between related disciplines, and across denominational lines in this fine work.]

B.  The Lord’s Supper or Eucharist

BALDOVIN, JOHN F.  Bread of Life, Cup of Salvation.  New York:  Sheed and Ward, 2003.  [A lucid articulation of the significance and meaning of the celebration of the Mass in light of the latest editions of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the General Instruction of the Roman Missal.  A historical overview of the development of the celebration is included, along with practical implications for sharing in the celebration.]

BRADSHAW, PAUL.  Eucharistic Origins.  New York:  Oxford University Press, 2004.  [Bradshaw notes the plurality of Eucharistic celebrations in the early church and adds some new ways of imagining their development.  He suggests an alternative vision of early Eucharistic celebrations here, focusing on the possibility of the rite’s connection to an evening meal of significant length.  He also notes only a gradual prominence in the association of the wine and bread with Christ’s blood and body over time.]

CUMING, GEOFFREY J. and R. C. JASPER. Prayers of the Eucharist. Third edition.  Collegeville, M.N.: Liturgical Press, 1987.

FOLEY, EDWARD. From Age to Age: How Christians Celebrated the Eucharist. Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 1991.

IRWIN, KEVIN.  Models of the Eucharist.  New York:  Paulist Press, 2005.  [Writing from a Catholic perspective, Father Irwin discusses a variety of models for understanding the celebration of Eucharist.  He is especially concerned with developments in eucharistic celebrations that have occurred in the wake of Vatican II.]

JEREMIAS, JOACHIM.  The Eucharistic Words of Jesus.  London:  SCM Press, 1966.  [An excellent study of the Gospel texts reflecting Jesus and the Last Supper, the institution narrative, and early celebrations of the Lord’s Supper.]

KASPAR, WALTER CARDINAL.  Sacrament of Unity:  The Eucharist and the Church.  New York:  Herder and Herder, 2005.  [Kasper reflects upon the ecumenical ramifications of eucharistic celebrations.]

MACY, GARY. The Banquet's Wisdom: A Short History of the Theologies of the Lord's Supper. New York: Paulist Press, 1992.  Reprinted:  Akron:  OSL Publications, 2005.

O'CONNOR, JAMES T. The Hidden Manna: A Theology of the Eucharist. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1996.

RORDORF, WILLY, ET. AL. The Eucharist of the Early Christians. New York: Pueblo Publishing Company, 1978.

SCHILLEBEECKX, EDWARD.  The Eucharist.  New York:  Sheed and Ward, 1968.  [Schillebeeckx powerfully unfolds the theological importance of Eucharist in a post-Vatican II environment.  Of particular importance is his discussion of “transsignification” to better express the mystery of “transubstantiation.”]

SCHMEMANN, ALEXANDER. The Eucharist: Sacrament of the Kingdom. Trans. by Paul Kachur. Crestwood, N.Y.: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1989. [The best articulated theological exposition detailing the Eastern Orthodox understanding and appreciation of the Eucharist.]

SENN, FRANK C.  A Stewardship of the Mysteries.  New York:  Paulist Press, 1999.  [Senn seeks to provoke a constructive dialog between Christian traditions about sharing in celebrations of Eucharist, the sacrament of Christian unity.  Senn identifies pertinent theological issues and offers suggestions for mutual understanding and appreciation.]

SMITH, GORDON T.  A Holy Meal:  The Lord’s Supper in the Life of the Church.  Grand Rapids:  Baker Academic, 2005.  [Theological reflections intended to stimulate congregational renewal in and through substantial Eucharistic understandings and corporate celebrations.]

STOOKEY, LAURENCE HULL.  Eucharist:  Christ’s Feast With the Church.  Nashville:  Abingdon Press, 1993.  [Written in less technical language, Stookey provides a marvelous introduction to the diversity of theological understandings of the Lord’s Supper as they have developed historically.  Particular attention is paid to the traditions of Methodists, Presbyterians, and the United Church of Christ.]

WELKER, MICHAEL.  What Happens in Holy Communion?  Grand Rapids:  Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2000.  [Welker gives an explanation of holy communion based on the biblical tradition and evaluates the ecumenical discourse on communion of the past thirty years, seeking to find common understanding between various traditions.]

C.  Baptism and Christian Initiation

ARMSTRONG, JOHN H., ED.  Understanding Four Views of Baptism.  Grand Rapids:  Zondervan Publishing House, 2007.  [A variety of issues related to baptism (for example, mode, age and frequency) are considered in this volume from multiple perspectives.  Scholars from Baptist, Christian Church/Church of Christ, Lutheran and Reformed traditions share their understandings with an eye toward mutual understanding and respect.]

BEASLEY-MURRAY, GEORGE R.  Baptism in the New Testament.  Grand Rapids:  Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1962.  [Beginning with Old Testament rituals and moving through early church practice, Beasley-Murray provides a thorough critical analysis of Scripture in defense of believers’ baptism.]

BRIDGE, DONALD and DAVID PHYPERS. The Water that Divides: A Survey of the Doctrine of Baptism.  Fearn, Great Britain:  Mentor Books, 1998. [Beginning with Scripture, the authors describe the approaches of both pedobaptists and believer Baptists, historically and theologically.  They help to unravel the tension between both practices today and seek to constructively identify the significant underlying issues.]

FISHER, J.D.C.  Christian Initiation:  Baptism in the Medieval West.  Chicago:  Liturgy Training Publications, 2004.  [A reissue of Fisher’s classic study of baptism in the Western medieval church, with an introduction by G. Austin.  Originally a part of the Alcuin Club liturgical studies series, this investigation traces the gradual separation of baptism, confirmation, and first communion, in various Western rites.]

FISHER, J.D.C.  Christian Initiation:  Confirmation Then and Now.  Chicago:  Liturgy Training Publications, 2005.  [A reissue of Fisher’s substantial study of the rite of confirmation (for the Alcuin Club, 1978).  His analysis begins with early nonbiblical evidence, surveys various Christian rites from the third to the fifth centuries, and concludes with a discussion of the rite for Anglican communities in the latter part of the twentieth century.]

KREIDER, ALAN.  The Change of Conversion and the Origin of Christendom.  Harrisburg, P.A.:  Trinity Press International, 1999.  [An engaging short volume, Kreider argues persuasively that Augustine’s concern for conversion is a significant root for the popularization of the practice of infant baptism.]

MURPHY CENTER FOR LITURGICAL RESEARCH.  Made, Not Born:  New Perspectives on Christian Initiation and the Catechumenate.  Notre Dame, I.N.:  University of Notre Dame Press, 1976.  [Wonderful essays examining the historical and theological development of Christian initiation in the church, with an eye toward renewing a catechumenate model in the church today.]

SCHMEMANN, ALEXANDER.  Of Water and the Spirit.  Crestwood, N.Y.:  St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1974.

SPINKS, BRYAN D.  Early and Medieval Rituals and Theologies of Baptism:  From the New Testament to the Council of Trent.  Aldershot, Hampshire:  Ashgate Publishing, 2006.  [Published in the Liturgy, Worship and Society series, this is the first of a pair of books examining baptismal liturgy and theology in a comprehensive way, with attention to implications for contemporary reflection and practice.  Syrian, Egyptian, Roman and additional African developments are included.]

SPINKS, BRYAN D.  Reformation and Modern Rituals and Theologies of Baptism.  Aldershot, Hampshire:  Ashgate Publishing, 2006.  [Published in the Liturgy, Worship and Society series, this is the second of a pair of books examining baptismal liturgy and theology in a comprehensive way, with attention to implications for contemporary reflection and practice.  Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican, Methodist, Baptist, and Amish traditions are included in this discussion.]

STOOKEY, LAURENCE HULL.  Baptism:  Christ’s Act in the Church.  Nashville:  Abingdon Press, 1982.  [Stookey provides an accessible guide to how baptism has been understood theologically throughout the development of the church.  He pays attention to particular pastoral issues related to the practice of baptism also.]

TURNER, PAUL.  Ages of Initiation:  The First Two Millennia.  Collegeville, M.N.:  The Liturgical Press, 2000.  [A helpful survey of the texts related to the history of confirmation and first communion, focusing on the age of the candidate and the sequence of the rites.  A companion CD includes extensive primary source materials with the brief book serving as a summary of these sources.]

TURNER, PAUL.  Confirmation:  The Baby in Solomon’s Court.  Revised and updated.  Chicago:  Liturgy Training Publications, 2005.  [Originally published in 1993, an excellent survey of the development of the rite of confirmation through the history of the church.  Turner identifies seven models of confirmation and initiates critical reflections useful for our practices today.  Revisions include recent developments in implementing the catechumenate today.]

WEBBER, ROBERT E.  Journey to Jesus:  The Worship, Evangelism, and Nurture Mission of the Church.  Nashville:  Abingdon Press, 2002.  [Webber proposes a model for nurturing believers in their faith through the establishment and celebration of particular stages of development.  His work is based on early catechumenate models of initiation and has much to offer churches today struggling to move their faithful to Christian maturity.]

WHITAKER, E.C., AUTHOR, AND MAXWELL E. JOHNSON, ED.  Documents of the Baptismal Liturgy.  Revised and expanded edition.  Collegeville, M.N.:  The Liturgical Press, 2003.  [Useful translations of baptismal liturgies from the second to the ninth centuries, from both the Western and Eastern church, help to provide an understanding of the range of understandings and practices connected to this ritual in the history of the church.  Whitaker was the original author of this text.  Johnson has gathered additional, more recent materials (since the original 1960 edition), that shed light on the historical development of baptismal rites.]

YARNOLD, EDWARD.  The Awe-Inspiring Rites of Initiation:  Baptismal Homilies of the Fourth Century.  Slough, Great Britain:  St. Paul Publications, 1971.

D.  Pastoral Rites and Practices

BATTS, SIDNEY F.  The Protestant Wedding Sourcebook:  A Complete Guide for Developing Your Own Service.  Louisville:  Westminster/John Knox Press, 1993.  [The value of this book is the collection of a variety of texts associated with all moments in the wedding liturgy and the reproduction of a host of Protestant wedding services.]

BELL, CATHERINE.  Ritual:  Perspectives and Dimensions.  New York:  Oxford University Press, 1995.

BRADSHAW, PAUL F.  Ordination Rites of the Ancient Churches of East and West.  New York:  Pueblo Publishing Company, 1990.

Bradshaw, Paul F., and Lawrence A. Hoffman, editors.  Life Cycles in Jewish and Christian Worship.  Notre Dame:  University of Notre Dame Press, 1996.  [Particularly helpful for essays concerning birth rituals and rites of adolescence.]

BUSH, PETER AND CHRISTINE O’REILLY.  Where 20 or 30 Are Gathered:  Leading Worship in the Small Church.  Bethesda, M.D.:  The Alban Institute, 2006.  [Published in the Vital Worship, Healthy Congregations series from the Alban Institute, this volume is a helpful resource for those serving churches of 50 people or less in rural, suburban or urban settings.  The unique challenges and opportunities of these small communities are identified with ideas for facilitating and renewing worship experiences.]

DRIVER, TOM F.  Liberating Rites:  Understanding the Transformative Power of Ritual.  Boulder, C.O.:  Westview Press, 1998.

DUDLEY, MARTIN, AND GEOGGREY ROWELL, EDITORS.  The Oil of Gladness:  Anointing in the Christian Tradition.  Collegeville, M.N.:  The Liturgical Press, 1993.

EMPEREUR, JAMES L.  Prophetic Anointing:  God’s Call to the Sick, the Elderly, and the Dying.  Wilmington, D.E.:  Michael Glazier, 1982.

EVANS, ABIGAIL RIAN.  Healing Liturgies for the Seasons of Life.  Louisville:  Westminster/John Knox Press, 2004.  [Evans explores a variety of personal and community crises, seeking to provide worship suggestions that will bring healing and hope.]

FOWLER, GENE.  Caring through the Funeral:  A Pastor’s Guide.  St. Louis:  Chalice Press, 2004.  [A comprehensive volume addressing aspects of loss, grieving, pastoral care, and the funeral service as a worship event (including practical guidance for service planning and sample services).]

GLICK, ROBERT P.  With All Thy Mind:  Worship that Honors the Way God Made Us.  Bethesda, M.D.:  The Alban Institute, 2006.  [Published in the Vital Worship, Healthy Congregations series from the Alban Institute, Glick seeks to provide assistance in recognizing the variety of temperaments and backgrounds of those in our congregations and ways in which this diversity can be navigated in relation to a wide, creative range of worship practices.]

GUSMER, CHARLES W.  And You Visited Me:  Sacramental Ministry to the Sick and Dying.  Revised edition.  New York:  Pueblo Publishing Company, 1989.

MARSCH, MICHAEL.  Healing through the Sacraments.  Collegeville, M.N.:  The Liturgical Press, 1987.  [Written from a Roman Catholic perspective, this brief volume examines the potential healing that can occur through a range of sacramental celebrations in the church.]

MEEKS, BLAIR GILMER.  Standing in the Circle of Grief:  Prayers and Liturgies for Death and Dying.  Nashville:  Abingdon Press, 2002.  [Resources for a host of grief-related circumstances, including suicide, death of a parent, and death of an infant.]

MEYENDORFF, JOHN.  Marriage:  An Orthodox Perspective.  Crestwood, N.Y.:  St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1984.

NEVILLE, GWEN KENNEDY, AND JOHN H. WESTERHOFF, III.  Learning Through Liturgy.  New York:  Seabury Press, 1978.

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, U.S.A.  Christian Marriage. The Worship of God. (Supplemental Liturgical Resource, No 3). Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1986.

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, U.S.A. The Funeral: A Service of Witness to the Resurrection. The Worship of God (Supplemental Liturgical Resource, No 4).  Philadelphia:  The Westminster Press, 1986.

RAMSHAW, ELAINE.  Ritual and Pastoral Care.  Minneapolis:  Fortress Press, 1987.

RUTHERFORD, RICHARD, AND TONY BARR.  The Death of a Christian:  The Order of Christian Funerals.  Revised edition.  Collegeville, M.N.:  Pueblo/The Liturgical Press, 1990.

SEARLE, MARK, AND KENNETH W. STEVENSON.  Documents of the Marriage Liturgy.  Collegeville, M.N.:  Pueblo/The Liturgical Press, 1992.

SHEPPY, PAUL P.J.  Death Liturgy and Ritual, Volume one, A Pastoral and Liturgical Theology.  Aldershot, Hampshire:  Ashgate Publishing, 2003.  [Published in the “Liturgy, Worship and Society” series, this is the first of a pair of books examining a Christian understanding of death and the ritual ways in which we experience it in faith communities.]

SHEPPY, PAUL P.J.  Death Liturgy and Ritual, Volume two, A Commentary on Liturgical Texts.  Aldershot, Hampshire:  Ashgate Publishing, 2004.  [Published in the “Liturgy, Worship and Society” series, this is the second of a pair of books examining a Christian understanding of death and the ritual ways in which we experience it in faith communities.]

SMITH, KATHLEEN S.  Stilling the Storm:  Worship and Congregational Leadership in Difficult Times.  Bethesda, M.D.:  The Alban Institute, 2006.  [Published in the Vital Worship, Healthy Congregations series from the Alban Institute, Smith identifies three primary types of difficult circumstances that congregations face (crisis, transition and conflict) and offers suggestions for allowing worship to facilitate reconciliation and healing.]

SPRINKLE, STEPHEN V.  Ordination:  Celebrating the Gift of Ministry.  St. Louis:  Chalice Press, 2004.  [Written as a practical theological guide for preparing candidates for ordination, especially in free church traditions.  Sample services are included, with advice for planning these celebrations.  Sprinkle seeks to renew church leadership with a sound biblical and theological foundation in this work.]

STEVENSON, KENNETH W.  To Join Together:  The Rite of Marriage.  New York:  Pueblo Publishing Company, 1987.

STEVENSON, KENNETH.  Nuptial Blessing:  A Study of Christian Marriage Rites.  New York:  Oxford University Press, 1983.

WESTERHOFF, III, JOHN H., AND WILLIAM H. WILLIMON.  Liturgy and Learning through the Life Cycle.  Revised edition.  Akron, O.H.:  OSL Publications, 1994. 

WILLIMON, WILLIAM H.  Remember Who You Are:  Baptism and the Christian Life.  Nashville:  Abingdon Press, 1980.

WILLIMON, WILLIAM H.  Worship as Pastoral Care.  Nashville:  Abingdon Press, 1979.

ZIMMERMAN, MARI WEST.  Take and Make Holy:  Honoring the Sacred in the Healing Journey of Abuse Survivors.  Chicago:  Liturgy Training Publications, 1995.

E.  The Christian Year

ADAM, ADOLF. The Liturgical Year: Its History and Its Meaning After the Reform of the Liturgy. Collegeville, M.N.: The Liturgical Press, 1992.

BASS, DOROTHY C.  Receiving the Day:  Christian Practices for Opening the Gift of Time.  San Francisco:  Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2000.

BLACKBURN, BONNIE, AND LEOFRANC HOLFORD-STREVENS.  The Oxford Companion to the Year:  An Exploration of Calendar Customs and Time-Reckoning.  Oxford:  Oxford University Press, 1999.  [Customs associated with each day of the calendar year, seasons, weeks, festivals, and holidays of all sorts, are discussed in this encyclopedic work.  Development of calendars in general, as well as the influence of the Christian church in particular are represented.  This work is especially helpful for discerning how both sacred and secular holidays might be better understood in relation to our church celebrations today.]

BOLING, RUTH.  Come Worship With Me:  A Journey Through the Church Year.  Louisville:  Geneva Press, 2000.  [Intended for children, a useful exploration of the Christian year (through Reformed lenses) with beautiful illustrations.]

EVERY, GEORGE, RICHARD HARRIES, AND KALISTOS WARE.  The Time of the Spirit:  Readings Through the Christian Year.  Crestwood, N.Y.:  St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1984.

HALMO, JOAN.  Celebrating the Church Year with Young Children.  Collegeville, M.N.:  The Liturgical Press, 1988.  [While assuming some prior familiarity with the Christian year, Halmo provides numerous ideas of activities for both home and church environments that would engage children in celebrating various seasons and festivals.]

HALVERSON, DELIA.  Children’s Activities for the Christian Year.  Nashville:  Abingdon Press, 2004.  [Introductory material and activities intended to orient and educate children concerning the meaning and significance of the Church year.]

HALVERSON, DELIA.  Teaching and Celebrating the Christian Seasons:  A Guide for Pastors, Teachers, and Worship Leaders.  St. Louis:  Chalice Press, 2003.  [Resource materials for helping to educate adults in the meaning and importance of observing the Church year.]

HICKMAN, HOYT L., DON E. SALIERS, JAMES F. WHITE, AND LAURENCE HU