Discerning the Spirits: A Guide to Thinking about Christian Worship Today (The Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Liturgical Studies

Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Liturgical Studies

by Cornelius Plantinga Jr. (Editor), Sue A. Rozeboom (Editor)

In order to provide the widest, most insightful discussion on present-day worship practices yet assembled, the authors gathered a team of church musicians, ministers, worship leaders, and educators from eight church traditions. Discerning the Spirits is the fruit of their work. Shaped by the wisdom of men and women like Marva Dawn, Justo Gonzalez, C. Michael Hawn, and John Witvliet, this book broadens today's worship wars into a bigger, richer discussion that moves from arguments over musical tastes to good thinking about the overall purpose of worship in relation to church life and God himself. Sidebar articles and quotes are meant to draw readers and study groups into dialogue on these issues. Whether one plays a leadership role in church worship or is simply grappling with questions about it, Discerning the Spirits is a must-read. Editors: John D. Witvliet (series editor) This series is designed to promote reflection on the history, theology, and practice of Christian worship and to stimulate worship renewal in Christian congregations. Written by pastoral worship leaders from diverse communities and scholars from a range of disciplines, these volumes seek to nurture worship practices that are at once spiritually vital and theologically rooted. Titles in this Series: Christian Worship in Reformed Churches Past and Present Discerning the Spirits: Understanding and Evaluating Contemporary Worship Practices Gather into One: Praying and Singing Globally My Only Comfort: Death, Deliverance, and Discipleship in the Music of Bach

Genres: Theology, Church

186 pages, Paperback

First published November 18, 2003

About the author

Cornelius Plantinga, Jr. is an ordained minister in the Christian Reformed Church and has served as a pastor in Webster, NY and supply preacher in Cliffwood Beach, NJ. Before joining the faculty at Calvin Theological Seminary, Cornelius Plantinga Jr. taught at Princeton Theological Seminary (1976 - 78), Fuller Theological Seminary (1985, 1987) and Regent College (1997). From 1996 to 2002 he served as the first ever Dean of the Chapel at Calvin College. He now serves as President of the seminary and teaches systematic theology.

Reviews

[Jocelyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read for class -- think it would have been a lot more relevant/enlightening when it was published (16 years ago).

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is just a dialogue of worship issues that don't really present solutions or conclusions to issues.