Textbooks

The following books are required reading:

Anderson, Herbert, and Edward Foley. Mighty Stories, Dangerous Rituals: Weaving Together the Human and the Divine. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1998.

Furr, Gary A. and Milburn Price. The Dialogue of Worship: Creating Space for Revelation and Response. Macon: Smyth & Helwys, 1998.

Lathrop, Gordon W. Holy Things: A Liturgical Theology. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1993.

Segler, Franklin M. and Randall Bradley. Understanding, Preparing for, and Practicing Christian Worship. Second ed. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1996.

White, James F. A Brief History of Christian Worship. Nashville: Abingdon, 1993.

Livingstone, E. A., ed. Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. New York: Oxford University Press, 1977.

Skoglund, John E. and Nancy E. Hall. A Manual of Worship. New ed. Valley Forge: Judson Press, 1993.

In addition, you are strongly encouraged to read relevant material from the attached bibliography and from sources mentioned in class discussion.

Examinations

You will have both a mid-term and a final exam. Exams will consist of both essay and objective components such as multiple choice, fill in the blank and short-answer questions. The essay portion of the final exam will be comprehensive, covering the entire course.

Personal Theology of Worship

The first writing assignment is to develop a personal theology of worship. Your theology should include, but is not limited to, the following: A definition of worship;  God's action in worship; the role of scripture both as a guide for the pattern of worship and as an element of worship; the elements of worship; ordinances/sacraments; the roles of congregation, choir, and presider(s); sacred space.

Please be thorough but concise. The body of your paper should be no longer than seven pages double spaced.

Based on your personal theology of worship, the second writing assignment is to prepare an order of worship for Sunday morning worship including communion. Include the full order of worship and rubrics. This will include hymn titles, hymn number and tune,  (identify the hymnal or worship book you are using); the full text of prayers; scripture texts; sermon title, introductory paragraph, concluding paragraph, and central focus. The rubrics should explain and justify all elements of the worship service, to include: who performs/ participates in a particular element of worship; why the element is located in a particular place in the order of worship; where the element is performed in the worship center (location); how the element is to be performed. A brief description or diagram of the worship space should be included.

This paper should be ten to fifteen pages in length.

Form is a vehicle that helps make your work accessible to the reader. While it is not the primary consideration, it is nevertheless important. Your project must be typed and double spaced. You should include a cover page with the title, course, date submitted, and your name.

Documentation: If you use sources and materials from your reading and study, give careful attention to their proper citation. The style of documentation should be clear, logical, and consistent. You may use either footnotes, endnotes, or parenthetical documentation. Whichever you choose, use the appropriate form and be consistent.

Bibliography: Include only those sources that you actually consulted. Use proper bibliographic form. The bibliography should begin on a separate page.

Guidelines for Form: There are several good form guides available. A standard one that is readily available is Turabian:

Turabian, Kate L. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 6th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996.

The various components of your final grade will be weighted accordingly:

Mid-term Examination  20%
Personal Theology of Worship 25%
Order of Worship and Rubrics 25%
Final Examination   30%

A+ 98-100 The student has demonstrated exceptional mastery of the
A 95-97  material and its application.
A- 93-94

B+ 90-92  The student has demonstrated above average mastery of the
B 87-89  material and its application.
B- 85-86

C+ 82-84  The student has demonstrated the required mastery of the
C 79-81  material and its application.
C- 77-78

D+ 74-76  The student has demonstrated below average mastery of the
D 71-73  material and its application.
D- 69-70

F 68-below The student has failed to master material and its application.

Course attendance policy is specified in the Center's catalog:

Regular attendance in class is required of all students. Any student who is absent in more than 25% of his/her class sessions cannot expect to pass the course.

III.  Class Schedule and Assignments:

January 10, 2000

Topics: Course Overview and Introduction
Assignment: White, 9-74; Segler, 5-46

January 17, 2000

Topics: Origins and Development of Early Christian Worship
Assignment: White, 75-141

January 24, 2000

Topics: Worship through the Reformation
Assignment: White, 132-180; Skoglund, xiii-xix

January 31, 2000

Topics: The Development of Baptist Worship
Assignment: Segler, 37-60; Lathrop, 1-83

February 7, 2000

Topics: Liturgical Theology, part I
Assignment: Lathrop, 87-158; Anderson, 3-54

February 14, 2000

Topics: Liturgical Theology, part II
Assignment: Furr, 1-40; Segler, 133-146

February 21, 2000

Topics: Mid-term Exam, 1st half of class
            The Practices of Christian Worship: Ordinances/Sacraments
Assignment: Segler, 87-154, 195-198; Furr, 41-58

February 28, 2000

Topics: Elements of Christian Worship
Assignment: Segler, 155-194

March 6, 2000

Topics: Sacred Space, Sacred Time, Sacred Symbols
Assignment: Segler, 61-74, 199-219;

March 13, 2000

Topics: Worship and Pastoral Care
Assignment: Anderson, 67-122

March 20, 2000

Topics: Occasional Services
Assignment: Theology of Worship Due Today
                   Segler, 217-238; Furr, 59-90

March 27, 2000

Topics: Planning Worship
Assignment: Lathrop, 161-225; Segler, 239-246

April 3, 2000

Topics: Leading Worship
Assignment: Anderson, 125-183; Segler, 75-84, 247-253; White, 176-180

April 10, 2000

Topics: Worship: Present and Future
Assignment: Order of Worship with Rubrics Due Today

 April 17, 2000

 Easter Break: No Class

 April 24, 2000

 Final Exam
 

VI.  Internet Resources

The course syllabus and a variety of ministry related links and resources can be found at the following URL: http://www.2revs.com/churchtalk . If you have internet capabilities,  an optional mail list for class discussion is also available. Contact me for more information or send me an email message indicating your interest.

VII. Appointments

You can reach me at the following email address:  vlumpkin@usa.net or by phone at (703) 361-0748. I am also available to meet with you by appointment.