The Development of Christian Worship

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The Development of Christian Worship

According to Crichton (1992 found in Jones et al.:1997) worship is a

'religious phenomenon, a reaching out through the fear that always

accompanies the sacred to the mysterium conceived as tremendous but

also fascinates, because behind it and in it there is an intuition of

the Transcendent.'

(Crichton:1992 in Jones et al:1997:2)

There are several approaches to which the subject of worship can be

studied. This can be that it is regarded as a branch of historical

studies and the results can provide the raw materials of theology, or

it is possible to adopt an ethical rather than religious approach. In

this essay it is the former of these that I am going to focus upon. In

the essay I believe that I need to attempt not to make over confident

assertions about the nature of Christian worship in the first

centuries on the basis of false assumptions and methods or of dogmatic

rather than historical criteria. There is relatively little about

which we can be sure with regards to Christian worship in the New

Testament, so generally the New Testament cannot provide the firm

foundation from which to project later liturgical developments that it

has frequently been thought to give. However I am not dismissing the

New Testament as it does provide a valuable primary source, but care

needs to be taken when handling it in order to remain agnostic about

many of the roots of Christian worship practices.

Christianity probably inherited many of its liturgical practices from

Judaism. This suggested connection is believed to have begun by the

Dutch Protestant theologian Vitringa in his book 'De Synagoga Vetere'...

... middle of paper ...

... De Lange, N: 1987: Judaism: OPUS: Oxford

Ÿ Crichton:1992:chapter 1:1 in: Jones, C; Wainwright, G; Yarnold SJ, E

and Bradshaw, P (ed.): 1997: The study of liturgy :SPCK: Cambridge

Ÿ Hardman, O: 1937: A history of Christian worship: University of

London Press and Hodder and Stoughton: London

Ÿ Noakes, K: 1992: chapter 3:2 in: Jones, C; Wainwright, G; Yarnold

SJ, E and Bradshaw, P (ed.): The study of liturgy: 1997:SPCK:

Cambridge

Ÿ Sheerin D: 1986: The Eucharist: Michael Glazier: Delaware

Ÿ Stephenson, J: 1989: Creeds, Councils and Controversies: SPCK:

London

Ÿ Stephenson, J: 2002: A new Eusebius: SPCK: London

Ÿ Warren, F: 1897: The liturgy and ritual of the Anti-Nicene Church:

Society for promoting Christian knowledge: Brighton

Ÿ Good News Bible: 1986: The Bible Societies: HarperCollins

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