Liturgy and Worship Commons^™

Byzantine Theories Of Scale And Arab-Byzantine Chant Practices: A Comparative Analysis Proposing A New Resolution To The Theoretical System Of Chrysanthos Of Madytos, Rosy Azar

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

In 2015, Amine Beyhom published a book on Byzantine chant, in which he summarised all the existing theories, paying particular attention to the problematic reform of the Byzantine chant theory in 1881, and guiding the reader through the steps that led to that reform. Driven by the first ever comparison between Byzantine and Arabic modes that he had found in Mīkhāʾīl Mashāqa’s epistle, Beyhom first studied Chrysanthos of Madytos’ insight. He documented this research in detail and followed it with a practical comparison to demonstrate if theory is indeed applied or it acts only as prescriptive guide. He recorded and …

Review Of A Visible Unity: Cecil Robeck And The Work Of Ecumenism. By Josiah Baker., Michael A. Donaldson

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

A Visible Unity: Cecil Robeck and the Work of Ecumenism. By Josiah Baker. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books/Fortress Academic, 2024. xii + 265 pp.

Review Of Martyrs, Monks And Mystics. By Michael J. Mcclymond., Eric N. Newberg

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Martyrs, Monks, and Mystics: An Introduction to Christian Spirituality. By Michael J. McClymond. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2023. xi + 396 pp.

Review Of Becoming A Missionary Church: Lesslie Newbigin And Contemporary Church Movements. By Michael W. Goheen And Timothy M. Sheridan., S. Slade Hogan

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Review of Becoming a Missionary Church: Lesslie Newbigin and Contemporary Church Movements. By Michael W. Goheen and Timothy M. Sheridan.

Review Of Puzzles, Parables, & Paradox: Understanding The Mysteries Of God’S Kingdom. By Randall Feller, Cletus L. Hull Iii

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Review of Puzzles, Parables, & Paradox: Understanding the Mysteries of God’s Kingdom. By Randall D. Feller. Tulsa, OK: Randall D Feller, 2022, 214 pp.

Types, Shadows, And Spiritual Experience: Theological Interpretation As A Pentecostal Approach To Song Of Solomon, Audrey E. Mccormick

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

An allegorical interpretation of the Song of Solomon has been central in Pentecostal spirituality. This approach was unique for its time as it demonstrated a break from modernity, which prized historical-grammatical biblical interpretive methods. This essay argues that, knowingly or not, early Pentecostal engagement with the Song of Solomon exhibited affinities with ancient practices of biblical interpretation known as theological interpretation. Additionally, it reveals theological interpretation to be a key for understanding early Pentecostalism and guiding the ongoing developments of a uniquely Pentecostal hermeneutic.

An Unfolding Vision Of Transformation: A Comparison Of The S/Spirit Motif In Romans 8 And Jubilees 1:19-26, Lemuel J. Godinez

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This study compares the role of the s/Spirit motif in Paul’s writing and that of a Second Temple Jewish theologian’s. The books of Romans and Jubilees, respectively, appear to develop their language of renewal within a developing trajectory motifs in the Hebrew Scriptures, including “heart circumcision,” “new covenant,” and “the s/Spirit.” One would be hard-pressed to prove intertextuality between Romans and Jubilees (which this study does not claim). Yet, the renewal description in Romans 8 is evocatively similar to Jubilees 1:19–26. Paul may therefore have developed his portrayal and narration of the Spirit in the vein of Second Temple thought. …

Hope, Liberation, And The Search For Shalom: Embracing A Spirit-Led Mission As The Cornerstone Of Hispanic Pentecostal Missiology, Misael Cornelio-Arias

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This study examines the critical missiological contributions of three influential Hispanic Pentecostal theologians: Eldin Villafañe, Samuel Solivan, and Sammy Alfaro. It also explores the work of two additional notable figures, Darío López and Bernardo Campos, whose impact extends beyond traditional missiology into practical faith application. Each of these individuals has uniquely fused his distinct cultural contexts and biblical understanding with the broader mission of the Hispanic Pentecostal faith, guided by the Holy Spirit. Their work has significantly shaped and expanded the landscape of Hispanic Pentecostal missiology, demonstrating a truly contextual approach to understanding and engaging in the kingdom’s mission. Through …

Lacunas In Spirit-Empowered Leadership, Eric N. Newberg

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This article addresses three issues that are lacunas not adequately addressed in the domain of Spirit-empowered leadership. These three lacunas of pressing concern in Spirit-empowered leadership are (1) spiritual formation, (2) moral integrity, and (3) power distance. These lacunas impinge directly on the viability and sustainability of Spirit-empowered leadership. If we conceive leadership as a gift given and sustained by the Holy Spirit, it follows that it is endowed and empowered by the Spirit, rather than acquired by human effort and skill. However, those who are entrusted with stewarding the process of developing leaders must at times hold accountable those …

Guest Editorial, Wonsuk Ma, Daniel D. Isgrigg

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Editorial for Spiritus 10, nos. 1-2

Front Matter Spiritus 10, Nos. 1-2 (2025), Spiritus Oru Journal Of Theology

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

Full Issue Spiritus 10, Nos. 1-2 (2025), Spiritus Oru Journal Of Theology

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Full issue of Spiritus 10, nos. 1-2 (2025) guest edited by Wonsuk Ma and Daniel D. Isgrigg.

Authentic Relationships Among The Body Of Christ: Naming The Obstacles That Hinder Authentic Relationships And Expressing A Gospel-Centered Path Toward Overcoming Them, Luke J. Anderson

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Anderson, Luke J. “Authentic Relationships among the Body of Christ: Naming the Obstacles that Hinder Authentic Relationships and Expressing a Gospel-centered Path toward Overcoming Them.” Doctor of Ministry. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary, 2025. 157 pp.

St. Paul Lutheran Church in Grafton, Wisconsin, recently underwent a vision process in which they proposed five values to define their congregational living. One of these values is authentic relationships. Those who crafted this vision, as well as the entire body who adopted it, recognized this value as primarily aspirational in nature. While some relational connectedness existed, all sought to better define this value …

Gospel-Centric Liturgy For Contemporary Worship: A Biblical Basis For Locally Crafted Worship Songs, Adriane M. Blanco

Masters Theses

Despite a cultural shift toward creating original worship music in churches today, there remains a need for new songs that reinforce biblical theology and foster spiritual formation through an intentional gospel-centric liturgy contextualized for the local congregation. Such a gospel liturgy consists of a cycle of songs that, with each weekly gathering of the church body, reiterates the revelation of God's presence, humanity’s sinful nature, Christ’s work of salvation, and the believer’s response in worship. At the same time, it is essential to emphasize spiritual songs that express the heartfelt emotions of the worshiper, maintaining a balance in properly worshiping …

Worship Harmony: Addressing Fragmented Practices Through Sacramental, Evangelical, And Charismatic Engagement At Beach Church, James Brockway

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This Doctor of Ministry thesis project addresses worship fragmentation at Beach Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where sacramental, evangelical, and charismatic elements have historically functioned independently, leading to theological imbalance and diminished congregational unity. The purpose of the project was to develop and implement a framework for unified worship that reflects the Trinitarian nature of God by integrating Word, Sacrament, and Spirit in a cohesive, theologically grounded, and experientially rich liturgy. The study employed an action research methodology involving surveys, interviews, focus groups, and worship observations to assess congregational perceptions before and after the intervention. The resulting framework demonstrated measurable …

Liturgia Queer Para Afrontar La Situación De Forma Activa: Oraciones Judías Para Tratamientos Y Pruebas Médicas Lgbtiq+, Elazar Ben-Lulu Dr

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

In recent years, medicine has moved toward greater inclusivity of the LGBTIQ+ community, ushering in an era focused on health needs linked to diverse identities. This qualitative study analyzes six contemporary Jewish prayers that address LGBTIQ+ concerns, such as support for medical care and treatments related to sexual and gender identities, including hiv/aids. Often written by LGBTIQ+ rabbis, these liturgies introduce new conceptions of body, gender, sexuality, and divinity. They express reverence for creation, trust in medicine, and respect for the body’s capacity for transformation, articulating queer Jewish liturgy as active coping.

Second Sunday In Ordinary Time - 19 January 2025, Pina Ford

Pastoral Liturgy

No abstract provided.

A Roadmap For Equipping Saints For The Work Of Ministry At Sugar Land Church Of Christ, Lewis Anthony Parker Iv

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to create a roadmap for a process that invites and equips saints at Sugar Land Church of Christ to work in ministry. As part of the research process, a design team was empaneled and met for eight sessions, during which participants offered valuable insight into Sugar Land’s ministry context. This data informed the final roadmap. Ephesians 4, which discusses the importance of every member getting involved in ministry, serves as the foundation of this project. The work of every member is for the edification of the entire group, and the calling and gift of …

The Spiritual Care Of Hospice Patients With Cognitive Deficits, Shane Sullivan

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT How can a hospice chaplain know whether their presence and ministry make a meaningful difference when visiting patients with dementia or other serious cognitive impairments? This project thesis seeks to answer that question conclusively. The theological foundation of this project centers on the doctrine of the imago Dei—the image of God—as it relates to individuals who are dying with cognitive deficits. Specifically, it explores how a person who is helpless and near death continues to reflect the image of God. The project intervention described here is the creation of a specialized training guide for hospice chaplains at Bridge Hospice …

Investigating The Relationship Between Noun Classes And Plant Folk Taxonomy In Chasu Language Of Kilimanjaro Region In Tanzania, Peter Rabson Mziray

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

The current study investigates the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu (G 22). The study focuses on two objectives: the first objective is to describe the plant folk taxonomy in Chasu and the second objective is to determine the relationship between noun classes and plant folk taxonomy in Chasu. Data were collected from rural villages in Same and Mwanga districts by using free listing, field interviews (jungle-walk-and-identify), and written texts containing Chasu plant names. The findings reveal that Chasu folk taxonomy reflects different ethnobotanical categories; including a unique beginner which is mmea/mimea ‘plant(s)’, and three life …

Timbre — A Transcendent Paradox?, Eugenia Siegel Conte

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

Timbre, as ethnomusicologist Cornelia Fales writes, is “paradoxical” precisely because it is one of the most exacting processes in which the human body may sense and comprehend the source of a sound even as that comprehended sound is impossible to describe outside of metaphor or comparison. As one of the more recognizable qualities of sound but the most difficult to describe, timbre allows us to consider physical/emotional (affective) experiences of sound as a key aspect of faith and meditation. In this article, I examine physical-affective intersections of faith and meditation that often are key to praxes of worship, and show …

Performing "Manly" Worship Music: Gender And Timbre At Mars Hill Church, Maren Haynes Marchesini

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

Ten years ago, Mars Hill boasted fifteen campuses and 15,000 members. Amid mounting allegations of abuse and mismanagement leveled against founding pastor Mark Driscoll, the church famously collapsed, closing its doors at the end of 2014. Driscoll had built Mars Hill’s core brand around his opposition to the perceived feminization of the Christian mainstream, and appointing himself the “leader of a heterosexual male backlash” in the church and broader culture. While Driscoll’s muscular Christianity stands in a wide historical stream, Mars Hill long led the charge in establishing a youth-oriented, hipster brand of hypermasculine Calvinism. And while rhetoric and theology …

From The Heaviest, Dirtiest Depths To The Washy Ambient Clouds: Guitar Timbre In/As Schismogenesis In North American Christianity, Joshua K. Busman, Nathan Myrick

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

This essay argues that within the socio-cultural context of North American Christianity, the timbral qualities of electric guitar, with its long lineage as a site of cultural values conflict and identity negotiation, serves a theological function in the emerging and cohering sonority of digital worship. Using as comparative case studies the timbral qualities of delay and ambience as promoted and sold by Worship Tutorials as representing normative sonic values for these Christians, on the one hand, and the dialectic and schismatic deployment of distortion by the band My Epic on the other, we suggest that these timbral qualities become important …

Sounds Like 'Saudade': Eschatological Echoes In Brazilian 'Gospel' Music, Fernando Berwig Silva

Yale Journal of Music & Religion

This paper analyzes the song “Saudade” by the Brazilian gospel singer Stella Laura. In the song, I argue that Stella Laura uses Brazilian timbral markers from the Sertanejo and Gospel Brazilian music genres to articulate a unique perspective on eschatology, one that is based on the affective structure of the Lusophone word ‘saudade.’ Furthermore, I contend that the song, rooted in the Brazilian nostalgic sertanejo music tradition, leans on stylistic and timbral tools to communicate the idea of saudade from heaven. Beyond lyrics that feature theological notions of origin, identity, and nostalgia, Stella Laura’s song employs timbral, poetic, …

When Earth And Heaven Dance:The Liturgical Year As Sacramental Theology Of Time And Ecological Model For Dwelling Faithfully In And Among Creation, Brenna N. Stross

Masters of Theological Studies

ABSTRACT In the beginning, God created time and ordered it; He gave His creation rhythms to live by. As a result of the Fall, all of creation became fragmented versions of what the Creator had intended. Time was created by God and therefore was impacted by the consequences of sin, causing a fracture in both the experience and perception of time. This fragmentation caused time to be severed in two: xpóvos (chronos, linear and measurable) time and kaιpós (kairos, perfect and immeasurable) time. In order to draw His people into His time, the Creator appointed feasts that created regular intersections …

Dust To Dust, Emma Ask

SPARK Symposium Presentations

"Dust to Dust" is a small group dance composition inspired by Genesis 3:19 and other passages referring to the human experience as that which is Earthly (dust). In this piece, the scripture is used as a framework for telling the story of life and the cyclical nature of being molded and created by God, the interweaving pathways of life in Creation and the eventual return to that which we were created from. In this piece, we are offered a chance reflect on the juxtaposition of the intricacy of our individual lives and the vastness and beauty of the collective human …

Means Of Evangelization In The Catholic Church Through Music, Patrice Metcalf

Masters Theses

There are numerous resources for Catholic churches today to encourage a congregation’s full involvement in musical participation, but there is little guidance or information on how these practices help with evangelization. The evangelization process is essential to the healthy growth of the church on Earth and for the salvation of believers. Musical resources give an eclectic variety of music, all of which is methodically written by its composers. After the COVID-19 pandemic, many church choirs have struggled to return, with some churches abandoning the use of large choirs and opting for a single soloist to lead the congregation. This leads …

Identifying Aspects Of Musical Diversity That Engender Multigenerational Worship In Select Baptist Churches: A Case Study, Megan Scruggs Hollifield

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Multigenerational worship through the avenue of musical diversity in the Baptist church is the focus of this case study. This study aims to identify critical components of musical diversity, emphasizing song selection as a key element of liturgy within corporate worship. The research undertakes an observational analysis of the relationship between musical diversity through liturgy and congregational engagement of all generations. Five Baptist churches were selected to be studied to categorize the similarities and differences in the area of multigenerational worship. The case study research model provided a variety of data collection methods through research observations, online questionaries and in-person …

Differentiation In Artistic Expressions Of Worship: A Study Of The Front Royal Church Of The Nazarene, Stephanie L. Blakely

Masters Theses

While music is globally recognized as a common tool for expressing worship in both academia and the evangelical church, it is not the only art form mentioned in the Bible regarding acts of worship. The Council of Arts Accrediting Associations recognizes four main disciplines of fine and performing arts, including Music, Art and Design, Theatre, and Dance; however, in the twenty-first century evangelical church, music takes precedence as the main expression of worship. This qualitative study will gain insight into the pursuit and understanding of utilizing various art forms as expressions of biblical worship in modern-day worship settings within the …

Singing In The Holy Ghost, How The Heavens Will Ring: The Evolution Of Eschatological Songs In Classical Pentecostal Corporate Worship, James Paul Ward

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

What Pentecostals believe about God and the Bible is embodied in their worship. This is certainly true for their eschatology. Although much has been written about Pentecostalism, there is a disciplinary convergence worthy of scholarly attention produced over time by the phenomenon of Pentecostals singing their eschatology. Singing songs about heaven was a characteristic of early Pentecostalism at the Azusa Street Revival and has continued through much of the twentieth century, but this phenomenon has evolved since the movement began. Pentecostals have influenced and been influenced by the growth and development of the Contemporary Worship Movement as well as the …