LiturgyPub Date : 2023-10-02DOI: 10.1080/0458063X.2023.2260706
Joseph Roso
{"title":"The Uses of Technology in Twenty-First Century Congregational Worship: A Report from the National Congregations Study","authors":"Joseph Roso","doi":"10.1080/0458063X.2023.2260706","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/0458063X.2023.2260706","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":53923,"journal":{"name":"Liturgy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2023-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139324387","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
LiturgyPub Date : 2023-10-02DOI: 10.1080/0458063x.2023.2259769
Jonathan A. Powers
{"title":"Unmute Yourself: Attentive to God’s Presence: Reflections on the Asbury Outpouring","authors":"Jonathan A. Powers","doi":"10.1080/0458063x.2023.2259769","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/0458063x.2023.2259769","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":53923,"journal":{"name":"Liturgy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2023-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139324728","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
LiturgyPub Date : 2023-10-02DOI: 10.1080/0458063X.2023.2259764
J. K. Busman, Deborah Ann Wong
{"title":"“Church is the New Radio”: Worship and the WOW Series (1996–2019)","authors":"J. K. Busman, Deborah Ann Wong","doi":"10.1080/0458063X.2023.2259764","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/0458063X.2023.2259764","url":null,"abstract":"It might be a slight exaggeration to say that anybody with an iota of musical gifting—from the singer-songwriters to the person who shakes the tambourine in your church’s worship band—has a worship CD that they’re either promoting on their Web site or selling out of the trunk of their car. But the exaggeration would only be slight, for sure. Over the last decade, worship music has become the fastest-growing category of music within the world of contemporary Christian music (or “CCM”) effectively displacing all other musical subgenres. 22","PeriodicalId":53923,"journal":{"name":"Liturgy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2023-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139324782","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
LiturgyPub Date : 2023-10-02DOI: 10.1080/0458063X.2023.2260710
Chris Reed
{"title":"A Vision-Based Approach to Purchasing Church A/V Systems","authors":"Chris Reed","doi":"10.1080/0458063X.2023.2260710","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/0458063X.2023.2260710","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":53923,"journal":{"name":"Liturgy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2023-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139324145","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
LiturgyPub Date : 2023-10-02DOI: 10.1080/0458063X.2023.2260703
Brian Blackmore
{"title":"The Evolution of Information About Worship-related Technology: Insights from a Long-time Insider","authors":"Brian Blackmore","doi":"10.1080/0458063X.2023.2260703","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/0458063X.2023.2260703","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":53923,"journal":{"name":"Liturgy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2023-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139324720","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
LiturgyPub Date : 2023-10-02DOI: 10.1080/0458063X.2023.2259763
Uday Mark Balasundaram
{"title":"Creative Methodologies and New Media Ecologies","authors":"Uday Mark Balasundaram","doi":"10.1080/0458063X.2023.2259763","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/0458063X.2023.2259763","url":null,"abstract":"Theology and new media are two fields that are rapidly evolving and intersecting in significant ways. On one hand, new media platforms provide unprecedented opportunities for religious communities and individuals to connect, communicate, and engage with each other. On the other hand, the rise of digital technology raises important theological questions about the nature of religious authority, the authenticity of religious experiences mediated through technology, and the potential for new media to exacerbate existing divisions and inequalities within and between religious traditions. 1","PeriodicalId":53923,"journal":{"name":"Liturgy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2023-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139324302","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
LiturgyPub Date : 2023-10-02DOI: 10.1080/0458063x.2023.2260701
Todd Stout
{"title":"What to Consider before Upgrading Your Congregations’ Worship Technology","authors":"Todd Stout","doi":"10.1080/0458063x.2023.2260701","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/0458063x.2023.2260701","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":53923,"journal":{"name":"Liturgy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2023-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139324904","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
LiturgyPub Date : 2023-07-03DOI: 10.1080/0458063x.2023.2224159
Michelle K. Baker-Wright
{"title":"UnMute Yourself: Surfing the Synthesis of the Academic and Pastoral","authors":"Michelle K. Baker-Wright","doi":"10.1080/0458063x.2023.2224159","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/0458063x.2023.2224159","url":null,"abstract":"One of the things that drew me to the discipline of liturgical studies was the way in which scholars in the field modeled a deep commitment to pastoral practice and to understanding how rite and ritual plays out in everyday life. I was inspired by the way they formulated intelligent reflection and analysis with a mindfulness toward the spiritual welfare of actual people and communities of faith. Perhaps for these reasons, I have cringed to find that, in many denominational contexts, a tension still exists between the “academic” and the “pastoral,” with these terms often being pitted against each other in discussions surrounding job searches, pastoral practices, and styles of leadership. Sometimes the implication is conveyed that to be “academic” is somehow to be less concerned with pastoral facets of ministry and that those inclined toward the “pastoral” are more generous and attuned to the nuances of human experience. Or, in a reversal of hierarchies, the “pastoral” is conflated with a certain intellectual sloppiness, as if compassionate practice requires a suspension of critical analysis. Of course, I am oversimplifying a bit to make a point. But not as much as I wish I was. I have been thinking about this false dichotomy often as I have navigated a number of poignant, sometimes joyful and sometimes heartbreaking pastoral situations and rites. I’ve found that having theoretical grounding in the dynamics of how people engage ritual and symbol gives me a more patient and inquiring spirit. I am less inclined to see liturgical conflicts in congregational settings as contested sites of control and more as particularly saturated hermeneutical hot spots. Or, to speak more colloquially, the places where people fight for control over liturgical issues are places that matter for some reason. And discovering what is at stake for people is a pastoral map into their souls and spirits, provided we are willing to listen and observe. At its best, training in liturgy, sacrament, and worship informs and deepens pastoral care rather than being a boutique pursuit or an ephemeral exercise. I have found that phrases that once seemed intriguing but esoteric have offered robust theoretical frames to carry the unthinkable. One such phrase that comes to mind is Nathan Mitchell’s description of the “inexhaustible ‘excess’ that is always ‘pointed to’ or ‘hinted at’ by the symbol but never fully or finally disclosed.” I once sat with this for hours and analyzed it. It made much more sense to me recently when I officiated at a funeral for a young person whose life ended much too soon, when no words were adequate, and yet it was my job to find some. Every symbol seemed tasked with carrying the impossible weight of the grief of a community. This idea that symbols of hope and resurrection—a paschal candle, a pall, the flowers carefully and lovingly arranged by those who were bereft—could never fully disclose hope and love, but could indeed point to these in part, proved invalu","PeriodicalId":53923,"journal":{"name":"Liturgy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2023-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45132716","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
LiturgyPub Date : 2023-07-03DOI: 10.1080/0458063X.2023.2224157
Emily Snider Andrews
{"title":"“What Is Not Assumed Is Not Redeemed”: Worship Lifestyle Branding at Bethel Church","authors":"Emily Snider Andrews","doi":"10.1080/0458063X.2023.2224157","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/0458063X.2023.2224157","url":null,"abstract":"It’s no secret: some outside its sphere find evangelicalism’s megachurch, contemporary worship problematic. Accounts vary, but at their center many criticisms dismiss it as a public expression of cop-out Christianity, the kind neglecting Scripture’s call to not be “conformed to the patterns of this world” (Rom. 12:2, CEB). In this view, contemporary worship and its corresponding faith-world embodies, at best, a superficial, feeling-based spirituality swayed by the latest, commercially-driven trends and, at worst, the corrupt excesses of our culture’s consumerism, individualism, and even narcissism—those aspects that Christians, it is assumed, should rally against. As this narrative is told, the cultural ethos of consumption would be unquestionably incongruent with the gospel’s message. There is no shortage of energy spent portraying evangelicals as those who have commodified their worship, guided by the desires of individual consumers rather than the Christian tradition, the common good, and much less Godself. Even so, those evangelical ecclesial contexts have emerged alongside the rise of consumerism as a dominant cultural ethos that have become known for their vibrancy in the twenty-first century. The evangelical megachurch, chiefly recognized by its contemporary worship, has emerged as a novel, yet enduring phenomenon thoroughly debunking notions of contemporary culture’s assumed disenchanted, secularized condition. As described in this essay, evangelical faith is tailored specifically to the same consumption culture that has been lambasted as antithetical to faithful Christianity, and yet is shown as generating a comprehensive way of being-in-the-world in which adherents understand their faith-world to be congruent with their “real life” world. By attending to consumer culture’s practices of marketing and branding, particularly through worship practices of the megachurch, evangelical identity is formed for both the individual devotee and the particular community. For adherents, this gives way to a lifestyle that makes sense of the cultural resources and experiences available to them, resulting in a faith that is accepted as relevant and vibrant. The worship-rooted lifestyle corresponds to a supernatural reality that is just as real and true as the natural one. To focus on how the evangelical megachurch’s adoption of consumer culture’s branding and marketing practices enables a vital faith in the twenty-first century, I will attend to the case of internationally known and market-oriented Bethel Church of Redding, California. At Bethel, worshipers engage liturgical practice as a lifestyle brand, one that shapes all aspects of life both inside and outside the Church, offering [re]enchantment to an allegedly disenchanted world. Understood in this light, liturgical formation at Bethel Church nourishes the whole life of the worshiper, who is revealed to be much more than a shopper-consumer. Furthermore, I explain","PeriodicalId":53923,"journal":{"name":"Liturgy","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.2,"publicationDate":"2023-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44912704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}