The Thoughtful Christian Logo
Resources for Christians and seekers
Home BOOKS Academic Worship and Music
ACHV;PF22
Worship in the Early Church
Availability:
7-10 days processing
Publisher:
Westminster John Knox Press
Publication Date:
9/12/2022
ISBN:
9780664267827
Pages:
302
Trim Size
6 x 9
Product Type:
Paper

While many histories of Christian worship exist, this project undertakes a task both more focused and more urgent. Rather than survey the whole history of the Christian church, it focuses on the formative period between the first and fifth centuries CE, when so many of the understandings and patterns of Christian worship came to be. And rather than include such developments as the monastic hours of prayer and the history of ordination, the authors deal primarily with those aspects of worship that recur on a weekly or regular basis: preaching, Eucharist, and baptism. The book divides its subject into three periods. It begins with the emerging worship of the New Testament era. It moves to the second and third centuries, when the church’s main tasks of establishing its identity in relation to its Jewish roots and making its way in a hostile Roman environment showed up in its theology and practice of worship. And it concludes with the fourth and fifth centuries, when introducing the increasing numbers of converts after Constantine to Christian faith became one of the highest priorities of the church’s worship. This resource will serve as a valuable guide to the historical developments that brought about Christian worship as we know it today.

Justo L. Gonz�lez is the author of dozens of books on church history and Christian theology. His The Story of Christianity is a standard textbook in the Americas and around the world.
Catherine Gunsalus Gonz�lez is Professor Emerita of Church History at Columbia Theological Seminary. She is an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and is the author of books on the history of preaching and worship.
1
A History of Early...
by Westminster John Knox Press
Justo L. Gonzalez
List Price $50.00
Sale Price $32.50
Add to Cart
2
The Apostles' Cree...
by Westminster John Knox Press
Justo L. Gonzalez
List Price $18.00
Sale Price $11.70
Add to Cart
3
Essential Theologi...
by Westminster John Knox Press
Justo L. Gonzalez
List Price $35.00
Sale Price $22.75
Add to Cart
4
Heretics for Armch...
by Westminster John Knox Press
Justo L. Gonzalez, Catherine Gunsalus Gonzalez
List Price $24.00
Sale Price $14.40
Add to Cart
5
Luke
Belief: A Theologi...
by Westminster John Knox Press
Justo L. Gonzalez
List Price $50.00
Sale Price $32.50
Add to Cart
6
Revelation
by Westminster John Knox Press
Justo L. Gonzalez, Catherine Gunsalus Gonzalez
List Price $34.00
Sale Price $22.10
Add to Cart
7
The Westminster Di...
by Westminster John Knox Press
Justo L. Gonzalez
List Price $50.00
Sale Price $32.50
Add to Cart
8
Worship in the Ear...
by Westminster John Knox Press
Justo L. Gonzalez, Catherine Gunsalus Gonzalez
List Price $35.00
Sale Price $22.75
Add to Cart
9
Heretics for Armch...
by Westminster John Knox Press
Justo L. Gonzalez, Catherine Gunsalus Gonzalez
List Price $24.00
Sale Price $14.40
Add to Cart
10
Revelation
by Westminster John Knox Press
Justo L. Gonzalez, Catherine Gunsalus Gonzalez
List Price $34.00
Sale Price $22.10
Add to Cart
11
Worship in the Ear...
by Westminster John Knox Press
Justo L. Gonzalez, Catherine Gunsalus Gonzalez
List Price $35.00
Sale Price $22.75
Add to Cart
 
“In Worship in the Early Church, Justo González and Catherine Gunsalus González present the early history of components of Christian worship with particular focus on preaching and the sacraments, and describe the various tumultuous, changing contexts that impacted the ways in which Christian worship developed in the church’s early centuries. Through this enticing and accessible text they invite a conversation between generations that ‘will lead to insights [to] enrich today’s worship.’ Worship in the Early Church will help my students engage with the ancient church’s worship practices so that we are not (to quote G.K. Chesterton) the ‘oligarchy of those who merely happen to be walking about.’ I am very excited about this book!” -- Jennifer L. Lord, The Dorothy B. Vickery Professor of Homiletics and Liturgical Studies, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary

“González and González have made a vital contribution to the understanding and practice of Christian worship with this engaging new work. Their focus on proclamation and the sacraments—defining characteristics of the church and the heart of the service for the Lord’s Day—offers valuable insight for students of the liturgy and contemporary leaders of worship alike. Their rigorous, yet accessible review of changing cultural contexts in the early church is eminently relevant for congregations facing change today.” --David Gambrell, Associate for Worship in the Office of Theology and Worship of the Presbyterian Mission Agency, and editor of Connections Worship Companion

“This accessible handbook is a perfect guide for students and anyone interested in learning about early Christian worship and its ongoing legacy.” –The Christian Century

comments powered by Disqus
List Price: $35.00
Sale Price:
$22.75 - 35% off