Courses

In this course, we will explore historical and theological backgrounds that influence and shape Christian worship, whether positively or negatively. We will consider worship in relation to the God who invites, facilitates, and receives our worship; in relation to his Son, Jesus, who makes our worship possible; in relation to the Spirit who fills and transforms our worship; and in relation to one another, as we attempt to fulfill this calling together. We will attempt to discover where wonder is located in our worship and in the worship of other Christian communities, whether in the contemporary church or in historical settings. We will consider what jeopardizes Christian worship and robs it of wonder (including fixations on wonder!), and work to find a balance of intellectual-theological knowledge with space for the unquantifiable element of wonder that reminds us of the Holy. We may need to educate ourselves about wonder, for wonder may be experienced through finely-crafted prayers, thoughtful lyrics, spontaneous outpourings, corporeal engagement, communal participation, art and architecture and music, etc. Wonder may be most evident in small prayer groups or Bible studies or in the liturgical calendar of high church liturgy. We will try to understand and articulate a theology of Christian worship that makes space for wonder, that is, room for mystery in a pragmatic age.

Knowing

• Biblical and theological foundations of worship.
• Historical trajectories of worship.
• Practical manifestations of worship.
• How wonder awakens and challenges our worship.

Being

• Shaped by Scripture.
• Taught through history.
• Formed by encounter with the Holy.
• Willing to risk the shaping effects of wonder in worship.

Doing

• Reading and researching theology/ies of worship.
• Listening to historical voices, cultural voices, each other, and the Spirit.
• Applying learning and insights in creative and productive projects or papers.
• Developing a theology of worship with space for wonder.