Lovin' on Jesus: A Concise History of Contemporary Worship

by Swee Hong Lim, Lim Swee Hong

Swee Hong Lim and Lester Ruth have filled an important gap in the study of worship. Lovin’ on A Concise History of Contemporary Worship is the first scholarly work of its kind on this topic. Lim and Ruth trace the origins and development of what we commonly call contemporary Christian worship, exploring it thoroughly and methodically. Their research includes early recordings and interviews with many who were directly involved in the early stages.

The authors were students of James White, and their book is, in a sense, a much-needed addition to White’s classic Introduction to Christian Worship . The thematic structure of Lovin’ on Jesus mirrors that of White’s Introduction, making this book exceedingly useful for students and practitioners in the study of Christian worship as a whole.

This is an essential resource for all students, scholars, worship leaders, and pastors who are serious about understanding the worship they lead.

“Meticulously researched, accessibly written, generous in its praise, and balanced in its critiques—this is the book for which many of us have long been waiting.” —Melanie C. Ross, Assistant Professor of Liturgical Studies, Yale Divinity School, New Haven, CT

“Particularly useful for teaching is the way Lim and Ruth organize their account by practices of time, space, music, prayer, technology, and scripture. This will immediately become a required textbook for the courses I teach on Christian worship.” —Ed Phillips, Associate Professor of Worship and Liturgical Theology and Coordinator of the Initiative in Religious Practices and Practical Theology, Candler School of Theology, Atlanta, GA

“Readers will find Lim and Ruth’s one-of-a-kind history convincing and rigorous. The authors show how a modern genre of Christian worship claimed its place, what it all means, and where it is heading.” —Gerald Liu, Assistant Professor of Worship and Preaching, Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ

“ Lovin’ on Jesus is an important book for every pastor, worship leader, and worshipper. This wonderfully prepared study will help you keep your worship experience biblically centered, dynamic, and growing.” —Rick Muchow, Founding Worship Pastor, Saddleback Church, worship leader and coach

Genres: History, Theology, Christian Living, Church History, Christianity, Church, Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

Published April 18, 2017

Reviews

[Rick Stuckwisch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a valuable, worthwhile, and helpful contribution. I know of no other book of its kinds, treating the history of "contemporary worship" in a scholarly manner. The authors are very fair and kind in their treatment. Indeed, they are sympathetic and friendly to their topic, yet scholarly, objective, even handed, and "critical" in the best (academic) sense of the word. For anyone wanting to get a handle on the origins, developments, motivations, and "strategies" of "contemporary worship," this book will be a most important resource. It is a slender volume, well written and easy to read, yet substantive and thoughtful. I recommend it.

[Jung Sun · Rating 3 out of 5]

Between 2.5 -3 ⭐️s

I’ve been on an American church history kick lately, especially when it seems several major threads in my life have converged under the evangelical church influence. I realized I had no knowledge of the church history that laid the foundation for what today’s evangelical church has become.

Having recently left a seeker-sensitive NAR-like “church” network I have many questions, like “how did the church become so emotional-miracle-chasing -church-multiplying focused?” And “Why is the contemporary church style so prevalent??”And “What’s with the CCM?? How did deep theological hymns get replaced with fluff-sensory manipulative overload?”

When I came across this book referenced in an article about proper church worship and how it got to what it is now I ordered up a copy to read.

Off the bat I was on guard because both authors are pro charismatic/CCM leaning. And although in the intro they say as much, they still claim they’re giving a neutral report on CCM’s worth and influence. It didn’t take long to realize their positive opinions regarding CCM still seeped through their writing.

“Concise history” doesn’t mean complete, which they also admit to. There were gaps and frequent repeat mentions of big name charismatic churches used as examples, which make sense considering it seems charismatic and Pentecostals movements had a large part with music/worship changes and methods. But, it made my stomach churn for I don’t consider any of the mentioned churches or church leaders/pastors as great solid orthodox churches to follow/listen/be involved with; theological problems abound in all of them. And any remaining trust in the authors’ biblical knowledge and discernment evaporated when pg 121 they sited a quote using Matt 18:20 incorrectly, and they didn’t indicate the interpretation was wrong! Which I’ve learned some time ago is a common verse many evangelical christians pull out of context and use incorrectly.

The whole book was very difficult to get through because it just confirmed without shame that CCM is emotional, experience, pragmatic, relevant, music focused. A big “no thank you” from me, that’s not worship in truth and spirit God’s way. And I learned this from the problems I saw in the “church” we left. They couldn't change their worship style or songs without the "ok" from higher up in the network leadership. - which is a major red flag, by the way.

They have a more recent book on worship (came out in 2019?) that’s suppose to be more thorough and adds more current worship music movements and examples (such as Hillsong, Bethel, and Elevation). Not sure I’ll be reading it.

A benefit that did come out of reading this book was getting information straight from the horse's mouth sort of speak. That is, those actively involved with and promoting this type of worship, AND started to study its origins and influence; no room for misunderstanding really. Of course there's still much to learn of CCM's origins and long long term impact.

If you’re charismatic, pentecostal, and/or continuest leaning - or love CCM - this book will most likely give you warm fuzzy feelings. And that must mean it’s of God, right? (Tongue in cheek if you’re wondering)

[Zachary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really, really enjoyed this book. It is essentially the first academic-level historical account of the development of contemporary worship. In the first chapter they establish a definition of contemporary worship—more like a listing of nine different "marks" of contemporary worship. These are subsequently developed and worked out more completely in the ensuing chapters.

Chapters 4–5 were really intriguing just for their succinct summary of the development of contemporary worship, while it was the last full chapter (Chapter 8) which I found most intriguing and alarming. This chapter, entitled "The Sacramentality of Contemporary Worship," traced the theological articulations concerning worship which accompanied the rise of contemporary worship. Essentially, the chapter addressed how practitioners of contemporary worship developed the theological underpinnings of their practices. I found the chapter hugely insightful...as well as alarming in some aspects. It was similar to how certain aspects of the eighth chapter (focused on the Bible and preaching in contemporary worship) were slightly alarming in tracing the trajectory of how the appreciated and utilized the Word in its contemporary services.

All in all, I highly recommend the book. It is intended more for a more academic audience, but I would encourage any pastor to read it. The offers an avenue to gain a historical perspective on one's current practices. Most churches and pastors do not realize that many of the liturgical patterns and priorities they utilize in their services are less than 100 years old.

[Thomas Creedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever since I heard about this book, I’ve wanted to read it. I was fortunate to pick up a copy at AAR/SBL, and I finished reading it in mid January. Lovin’ on Jesus: A Concise History of Contemporary Worship is a short, readable and pretty impressive history of the practice, theology and explosion of the phenomenon that has come to be called ‘contemporary worship’. How do you know when a term or phrase means something? When both supporters and detractors refer to the same thing with the same words. Well aware of the ‘worship wars’ of the past, the continued divide in many mainline denominations, and the sheer scale of the industry that has grown up around this way of worshipping Jesus, Swee Hong Lim and Lester Ruth are well placed to engage this topic.

https://www.thomascreedy.co.uk/book-r...

[Ryan Dufoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book for understanding the phenomenon in the history of Christian worship that has been happening in the west since at least the 1950's. Thr authors state that in writing this, "...we are appropriating the chapter topics of James F White's Introduction to Christian Worship. Doing so allows Lovin' On Jesus to be read as a supplement to his book, providing more information on developments in the last 30 years." This is exactly what it is--an update on the progress of Christian worship in the west to be tacked on to the end of James White's standard introduction to worship. I actually read this after White's book "A Brief History of Christian Worship," and it fit really well. It is incredibly well studied and easy to read. Well worth it.

[Matthew Gage · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic study of the history, structure, and philosophy of modern trends in worship music. Compared to the more recent work by the same authors, "A History of Contemporary Praise & Worship", this book does a better job of examining the current status and philosophy of contemporary worship. The presentation of the history and development of of modern worship is far better in their newer book, in large part because it gives so much more space to it. I also think the newer book has a more of a scholarly disconnect in the writing than this one. This book tends to be more biased in its presentation thought it is not overtly so.

[Josiah Aston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, but surprised about lack of documentation of changes within the last two decades

Helped me to understand the bigger picture of contemporary worship, the explosion of growth in the 60s and 90s, and the influence of Pentecostal practice and theology. I would have liked to see more about changes/developments in the last two decades and more about what happened in Pentecostal worship before the 1960s that led to the phenomenon.

[Darby Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative, especially the section on the sacramentality of music in contemporary worship, and how that grew out of a once-fringe charismatic view of praise & God's presence. For most who grew up in the era of contemporary worship's coming-of-age, the historical sections won't be too enlightening, but there are some really good insights here, and one of the few books I've seen or read on the topic.

[Nathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an important work that needed to be written. It does not finish the dialogue, but it certainly does a fantastic job of starting it. A must-read for those interested in the dynamics of Sunday morning worship, as well as those involved in the planning.

[Andrew Kaiser · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief but important history of how we got here. Lots of insider details, with so many things to unpack…

[Sean Crowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read that demonstrates how much the Pentecostal movement has influenced worship in the evangelical church.

[Kim Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lim & Ruth’s seminal work details the progression and development of the contemporary worship movement. Not only do they discuss the music of the movement, but they discuss key factors that contribute to the formation of church liturgies (worship services), such as time, space, prayer, and preaching in contemporary worship. Their book is based on years of research, and they write in an easy-to-read manner. They specifically discuss the impact of time and space on worship practices, in which they note that “flow” became an important characteristic of modern liturgies. If you have ever wondered how contemporary (modern) worship got to where it is today, this is the book for you. Lim and Ruth accurately describe how contemporary worship developed in the twentieth century, and how it continues today.

“Two qualities that have characterized contemporary worship more broadly: a dedication to relevance regarding contemporary concerns in the lives of worshippers and a commitment to adapt in order to target intended listeners” (116).

[Ryan Shelton]

Most books that describe the history and development contemporary worship seem to assume it is either the devil or the savior. This presents a charitable and critical perspective that will greatly benefit all who are involved in worship planning and leading in their church context.