Liturgy and Worship Commons^™

"I Will Not Hear The Melody Of Thy Viols": Opposition To Instrumental Music In Historic Presbyterian And Puritan Worship, Sean Patrick Michael Mcdonald

Masters Theses

The parallel movements of Presbyterianism in Scotland and Puritanism in England began and developed in the 1500s. Early on, both of these movements established their opposition to musical instruments in the public worship of God. This was not merely incidental to their worship, as though instrumental music could be added without any significant alteration to Presbyterianism or Puritanism as such. Rather, the rejection of musical instruments (usually organs) was essential to their worship, and inseparably tied to key theological principles.

From Source And Summit To Parish Practice: A Qualitative Analysis Of Eucharist And Social Outreach, Erik Sorensen S.J.

Journal of Global Catholicism

A small-scale qualitative study in a Catholic parish situated in Ottawa, Canada, offers insights into the complex relationship between that community's worship and its commitment to social justice. This article brings the lived theology of this community into dialogue with the academic and magisterial perspectives on the Eucharist as the source and summit of Christian life. The dialogue is framed by the Theological Action Research Network's four voices of theology: operant, espoused, formal, and normative. This framework helps to center the marginalized theology of the faithful in the pews. In this case, the parish offered a dynamic theology of welcome …

“Ite Missa Est”: How Can The Altar Alter Attitudes And Actions?, Ebenezer Akesseh

Journal of Global Catholicism

This paper brings into focus the relationship between personal agency and so-

cial structure, demonstrating that what we celebrate on the altar forms within

us the proper dispositions that can help prevent the occurrence of corruption.

The first part examines corruption from a socio-cultural perspective and ex-

plains the incidence and effects of corruption. The second part discusses the

relationship between worship and the formation of actions and attitudes. It

highlights the need to embody the social implications of our celebrations. Using

responses from interviewees, the third part illustrates that the celebration of the

Eucharist shapes the commitments and conduct …

The Lived Liturgical Experience Of Non-Catholic Participants In The Roman Catholic Mass: Tactical Ecumenism In Overlapping Ritual Systems, Sarah Kathleen Johnson

Journal of Global Catholicism

In religiously diverse social contexts, liturgical practices anchored in one reli-

gious tradition often gather diverse communities. In such contexts, it is wise to

assume that people who are not Catholic may be present at any Roman Cath-

olic Mass. This article explores the lived liturgical experience of non-Catholic

Christians who participate routinely in the Roman Catholic Mass through a

mixed-methods study of a religiously diverse treble vocal ensemble that sings

weekly at Mass on a Catholic university campus. It describes how Catholic and

non-Catholic Christian singers interpret practices surrounding the eucharistic

meal in contrasting ways: non-Catholic Christians experience the …

La Santa Muerte And The Characteristic Damage Of Canonization, Ellen Webber

Journal of Global Catholicism

Devotion to La Santa Muerte, a Mexican folk saint who personifies Death, has

been condemned by the Catholic Church for its affiliation with Mexican drug

cartels. This article challenges mainstream interpretations of La Santa Muerte

devotion using the theological framework of characteristic damage, as defined

by Lauren Winner and Paul J. Griffiths. This framework understands liturgy

as celebrated by sinners in a damaged world, and therefore necessarily damaged

itself. As much as liturgy and Christian practice form us for good, they also per-

petuate damage. I argue that the sins present in La Santa Muerte veneration are

an expression of …

Negotiating Plurality: Korean Catholic Funerals As Lived Religion, Jieun Han

Journal of Global Catholicism

This article examines Korean Catholic funeral rites through the lenses of ritual

guidebooks and lived religion, arguing that Catholic funerary practice in Korea

has emerged through sustained engagement with Confucian and Buddhist tradi-

tions as well as modern nationalism. Focusing on Catholic manuals such as the

Sangjang yesik [Rites for Mourning and Funerals] and related texts, it traces how

officially sanctioned liturgical forms coexist with, accommodate, and reinterpret

indigenous ritual logics surrounding mourning, burial, ancestor veneration, and

care for the dead. Rather than viewing Korean Catholic funerals as a simple

localization of Roman rites, the article conceptualizes them as a …

Editor's Introduction, Brent H. Otto S.J.

Journal of Global Catholicism

No abstract provided.

Targum Jonathan (Tgj) On Isaiah 6, A Literary-Interpretative Translation, Maksim Astashinskiy

Faculty Papers and Publications

[1] The pointed text is from “Targum Jonathan on Isaiah 6,” Sefaria Library, accessed August 16, 2026, https://www.sefaria.org/Targum_Jonathan_on_Isaiah.6?lang=bi; the public domain source text on Sefaria is from The Chaldee paraphrase on the prophet Isaiah [by Jonathan b. Uzziel], Trans. Rev. C.W.H. Pauli (London: London Society’s House, 1871), 20–22, https://archive.org/details/chaldeeparaphra00uzzigoog/page/n36/mode/2up. A hyperlinked, alternative public domain version with textual variants is available as “51012: TgJ Is” in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon (CAL): Hebrew Union College, accessed August 16, 2026, https://cal.huc.edu/get_a_chapter.php?file=51012&sub=06&cset=H. Researchers can also view a superliner pointed text, see: “51012: TgJ Is,” CAL, accessed August …

Sing Lustily And With Good Courage: Reinventing Methodist Hymns In The Context Of The Indonesian Methodist Church, Budi Taniwan

Doctor of Pastoral Music Projects and Theses

The majority of Methodist churches continue to uphold the legacy of hymn singing, a practice highly esteemed by early Methodists. John and Charles Wesley employed hymns alongside sermons as a means of teaching Methodist theology, shaping Christian discipleship, and forming Methodist identity. However, in contemporary times, Indonesian Methodist churches recite fewer doctrinal hymns. Inadequate early translations, the absence of authentically Indonesian Methodist hymns, and the emergence of contemporary Christian music have contributed to this decline. Changes in liturgy, worship culture, and technology have also transformed the way congregations learn and sing their faith. This study explores the historical and theological …

Judaism And Catholicism: Possibilities Of An Inter-Spiritual Dialogue, David Neuhaus

Journal of Global Catholicism

This article examines the possibilities of an inter-spiritual dialogue between Catholics and Jews. Describing the transformation of the Catholic attitude to Jews andJudaism in the wake of the Second Vatican Council, moving from a teaching of contempt to one of respect, it analyses the far-reaching reformulations of Catholic theology that promote an interreligious dialogue. After centuries of traumatic history, Jewish reactions have been hesitant. However, the past decades have led to a burgeoning relationship that can indeed flower into a mutual inter-spiritual dialogue that deepens the faith of both Catholics and Jews.

Islam And Catholicism: Theology And Practice Of Inter-Spiritual Dialogue, Felix Koerner

Journal of Global Catholicism

This article explores foundations, preconditions, aims, persons, groups, practices, methods, texts, and criteria of Muslim–Christian inter-spiritual dialogue. In-ter-spiritual dialogue thrives within the network of other dialogical forms: dialogue of life and collaboration, of theological and practical understanding. This article argues that the spiritual dimension of dialogical encounter may itself constitute a critical site of moral reflection, enabling participants to perceive injustice more clearly and to respond to it more responsibly. Nevertheless, the integrity of in-ter-spiritual dialogue depends upon the cultivation of trust, candor, and a shared orientation toward mutual enrichment and spiritual purification. Where dialogue is subordinated to extrinsic strategic …

The Dialogue Of Spiritual Experience In Buddhist-Christian Encounter, S Mark Heim

Journal of Global Catholicism

Can one learn more about one’s own religion through the practices of another? My positive answer to this question is illustrated in this paper by reflection on aspects of the Buddhist practice of emptiness, in specific connection with Christian under-standing of our lives as creatures. The Buddhist meditative practices I have in mind have several things in common. They are introspective (activated in one person’s inner consciousness) and premised on the Buddhist understanding of emptiness (specifically “no self ” teachings). Buddhist introspective practice takes at least three broad forms. One of these is a meditative analytical awareness of the contents …

Hindu Poetry And The Project Of An Inter-Spiritual Catholic Theology, Francis X. Clooney

Journal of Global Catholicism

This article engages the work of the Indian south Indian Tamil-language Vaiṣṇava poet saints known as the Alvārs. The article specifically focuses the First HundredHoly Linked verses of Poykai Ālvār to argue for inter-spiritual learning between Catholics and Hindus. The article concludes with personal reflections on this encounter within the context of the global Catholic Church

Overview And Acknowledgments, Mathew Schmalz

Journal of Global Catholicism

An overview and introduction to the present issue on Inter-Spiritual Dialogue.

Alumni Spotlight: Ezekiel Prophet Of Hope Address, Mark J. Seitz

Obsculta

This lecture was delivered by Bishop Mark J. Seitz upon receipt of the Ezekiel Prophet of Hope Award from Saint John’s University in August of 2025. The Ezekiel Prophet of Hope Award seeks to lift up alumni or alumnae of Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary who have dynamically lived out the principles of collaboration and ecumenism that are at the heart of the mission and the Benedictine heritage of Saint John’s. Just as Ezekiel saw a splendid vision of the new and everlasting temple, modern prophets off er us new and sustainable visions for the church.

Loose The Bonds Of Injustice: The True Fast Of Lent, Bella Brinkman

Obsculta

This reflection was written for and delivered to the community of the Saint John's School of Theology and Seminary on February 19, 2026. It reflects on Isaiah 58:6–8 and the theme of Lenten fasting, as part of the Midday Prayer Service during the first week of Lent. The reflection was composed and offered in the context of the ongoing immigration enforcement raids carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minneapolis. It invites the community into a deeper consideration of the Christian response to injustice during the Lenten season.

Fulfilled In Your Hearing: What Has Been Fulfilled; What Remains To Be Heard, William Skudlarek Osb

Obsculta

This article reflects on the enduring legacy and contemporary relevance of Fulfilled in Your Hearing, the 1982 U.S. bishops’ official statement on the Sunday homily. Written by the document’s principal drafter, the piece explores the text’s revolutionary methodological shift: moving the starting point of preaching away from the preacher or the isolated text and toward the assembly gathered for Eucharist. The author argues that the homily is not an exegetical lecture or a discourse on morality but a sacramental interpretation of human existence through the lens of Scripture that calls the assembled worshippers to conversion, thanksgiving, and service. Central to …

Theology As A Form Of Prayer, Melissa Tovar-Guerrero

Obsculta

This piece reflects on the essential tasks of theology to foster practical expressions of prayer, to establish a fruitful and transformative dialogue with the Trinity through Christian meditation.

Called From Within The Community: The Vocation Of Undocumented Hispanic Men To The Diaconate, Anisabel Palma

Obsculta

This paper examines the discernment of undocumented Hispanic men to the diaconate within a diocese facing growing Hispanic populations and a shortage of Spanish-speaking clergy. Using ethnographic research, theological reflection, and historical analysis, it argues that this reality should be discerned not as a pastoral problem but as a response to concrete community needs. Interpreted through four theological perspectives (sacred vocation, divine initiative, unconventional divine choice, and the community-oriented nature of diaconal ministry) the study proposes that welcoming undocumented men into formal discernment and formation for the diaconate constitutes a faithful and ecclesial response to the Church’s mission.

Second Edition Of The Liturgy Of The Hours: Impact On The American Diaconate, Michael Walsh

Obsculta

This piece explores the upcoming Second Edition of the English Liturgy of the Hours coming to the United States. This piece touches on the psalter, hymnal, and other portions of the new edition as well as the publishing companies chosen by the USCCB to promulgate it. This piece highlights the impact this new edition can have on all of the faithful but particularly the American Diaconate.

Wedding Appropriate?: A Reflection On 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, Barbara Kowalkowski Osb

Obsculta

This piece looks at whether the passage of 1 Corinthians 13:1-8a (the wedding verses) is overused or misused as one of the most popular readings during wedding ceremonies by considering the context of the passage. It delves into whether its use leads to misunderstanding among those gathered for their wedding on what its true meaning is.

Schillebeeckx And Homilies: Why Should Sermons Be More Than Words?, Paulinus Daeli

Obsculta

This article highlights the importance of good preaching by exploring the relationship between theology, rhetoric, and spirituality through the theology of Edward Schillebeeckx. It argues that preaching must go beyond words to create a deep experience for the congregation. By exploring Schillebeeckx's theological foundations, the article also discusses the conflict between the liturgy of the Word and the Eucharist in Holy Mass, and suggests a comprehensive approach to preaching. The article emphasizes that both aspects of the Mass must work in harmony to provide spiritual nourishment. Finally, it concludes by emphasizing the importance of preaching as a communal act, which …

Dance Partners, Francis Agnoli

Obsculta

Using dance as an organizing image, the preacher explores the relationship between works and grace in a homily preached at midday prayer at the School of Theology on September 25, 2025. The text proclaimed at prayer was Ephesians 2:4-10. Music sung at prayer included "El Señor es compasivo y misericordioso" (Psalm 103, Peter Kolar) and "Amazing Grace."

A Practice Of Singing Psalms: The Impact On People’S Understanding Of God, Understanding Of Themselves, And Their Worldview, Jan Frederik Ezinga

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Singing influences people. Song lyrics influence people’s views and behavior, both positively and negatively. Researchers indicate that influence through songs may occur subconsciously. Because songs can move people, activists and governments use songs, or the prohibition of songs, to influence the population. This is relevant for church leaders and Christian school teachers because Christian songs communicate doctrine. Within a Christian setting, songs influence people’s faith. However, when Christians sing God’s Word, the songs affect people exponentially because God’s Word does not return to him empty (Is. 55:11). God commanded the church to sing psalms (Col. 3:16). Singing God’s Word from …

Caring For Our Neighbors: Public Prayer As A Pastoral Tool For Multicultural Communities, Gilbert Perez

School of Theology and Seminary Graduate Papers/Theses

Throughout 2025 and in the first few months of 2026 there has been an increased presence of immigration law enforcement in the state of Minnesota, which has extended into the central Minnesotan diocese of St. Cloud.

Eighth-Century Paschal Hymns, Maksim Astashinskiy

Faculty Papers and Publications

The first hymn (The information is taken from footnote 1):   For the Greek text, see Patrologiae cursus completus. ed. Jacques-Paul Migne, Series Graeca: Patrologia Graeca (PG) Vol. 96 (1864), 849, http://patristica.net/graeca/, or Anthologia graeca carminum christianorum. ed. Wilhelm von Christ (Leipzig: B.G. Teubner, 1871), 218, https://archive.org/details/anthologiagraec00paragoog; for a traditional nineteenth-century translation, see: Hymns of the Eastern Church. ed. and trans. John Mason Neale (London: J.T. Hayes, Lyall Place, Eaton Square, 1876), 95–96, https://archive.org/details/hymnseasternchu01nealgoog. The versification is my own.   The second hymn (The information is taken from footnote 6).    For the Greek text, see: Anthologia …

The Fellowship Of Christ's Sufferings: Toward A Practical Philosophy Of Worship For Missions In The Latin American Church, Moriah Hope Joseph

Senior Honors Theses

Within Latin America, evil and suffering are ever-present realities that cannot be concealed, and the Hispanic society is aching for relief. Liberation Theology and the prosperity gospel – and their accompanying worship practices – have been offered as tools to help alleviate the experience of suffering. But these theological perspectives and practices have accomplished little in edifying the Church by way of truth. Thus, the call for the modern missionary is to instead preach worship that is a response to the incarnate Christ in suffering. The missionary must advocate for worship practices that provide space for biblical lament, reveal a …

A Hybrid Generation: Globalization, Migration, And Cultural-Theological Reconfiguration Among Second-Generation Ghanaian Pentecostal Immigrants In The United States--Toward A Diasporic Mission Theology, David Osei-Nimoh

College of Theology and Ministry Dissertations, Projects, & Theses

This dissertation investigates how globalization, migration, and Pentecostalism shape the cultural and theological of second-generation Ghanaian Pentecostals in the United States. Using Mark Cartledge’s four-stage empirical theological cycle, it interprets participants’ lived experience as theological data in critical dialogue with Scripture, the doctrine of The Church of Pentecost (COP), and Pentecostal theological method. The study is based on 26 weeks of multisite fieldwork in three COP U.S.A. congregations—Washington, D.C., Dallas, and Tacoma—and draws on participant observation, 55 semi-structured interviews, three focus groups, and archival materials. The analysis yielded three interrelated findings. First, participants negotiate a bicultural Ghanaian American identity within …

Revival Song: The Significance Of Hymns In The First Great Awakening, Kaeley E. Whitacre

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

This paper highlights the transition in church music during the First Great Awakening in Colonial America. It argues that hymns and new psalmody had a mutually beneficial relationship in the Awakening, as they aided one another in emphasizing personal salvation experiences. Prior to the Awakening, English-speaking churches in Colonial America sung almost exclusively literal translations of Psalms in a more formalized call-and-response format. While current scholarship on the First Great Awakening broadly analyzes the primary tensions and debates within New England churches regarding changes in music, it does not provide a comprehensive overview of the introduction of hymns in Colonial …

The Image Falls Apart, Alexa N. Curran

Masters Theses

The Image Falls Apart is a phenomenological account of my collision with Rogier van der Weyden’s The Descent from the Cross (ca. 1435). In an ever-expanding landscape of visual stimuli, how do we make sense of images that are an encounter with the sacred? Of what use to a modern viewer is an altarpiece of the late medieval period that, in its miraculous rendering of each of its human figures, reflects the impending iconophobia of the Protestant Reformation? And what does falling have to do with it? With careful attention to the assembly of bodies in space, this multidisciplinary project, …