The Transformation of Christian Worship: Recent History of Protestant and Catholic Practices (1960-2000)

John D. Witvliet, Calvin College

June 26-July 7, 2006

Sponsored by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship
Funds provided by the Lilly Endowment, Inc.

Seminar Description
The last four decades have witnessed remarkable changes in the practice of Christian worship across Catholic and Protestant communities. One notable feature of all the change is how diverse it is. Rarely has the church been reforming in so many different directions at the same time. The charismatic movement, liturgical movement, church growth movement, hymn renaissance, the ecumenical movement, and postmodern cultural patterns have each transformed worship in many denominations and traditions.

This seminar will study several primary source documents of each of these major movements (e.g., film clips, magazine articles, liturgical texts, photographs of worship spaces, personal memoirs, and musical examples), as well as analytic discussions of these transformative decades.

The first goal of this work is simply to better understand the complexity of recent change and to identify common themes among changes in various Christian traditions. The second and deeper goal is to probe through theological reflection the attitudes we bring to these topics and to current work that aims to promote faithful and vital worship practices today.

The seminar is designed for 1) scholars (including graduate students) in several fields who hope to publish articles on this period, 2) teachers and professors who offer courses related to the practice of worship or the history of North American Christianity, 3) journalists, denominational and para-church organization administrators and editors who want a deeper understanding of the context of their writings or program, and 4) pastors, musicians, artists, architects, and worship leaders who want to better understand the context of their pastoral ministry. We hope for a seminar that includes members with varying interests, including music, art, architecture, preaching, cultural history, popular culture, liturgy, and more.

About the Director
John D. Witvliet is Director of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship and serves as Associate Professor of Worship, Theology, and Music at Calvin College. A graduate of Calvin College, Dr. Witvliet holds graduate degrees in theology from Calvin Theology Seminary, in choral music from the University of Illinois, and the Ph.D. in liturgical studies and theology from the University of Notre Dame. He is the author of Worship Seeking Understanding: Windows into Christian Practice (Baker Academic, 2003), co-editor of Worship in Medieval and Early Modern Europe: Change and Continuity in Religious Practice (University of Notre Dame Press, 2004), and editor of A Child Shall Lead: Children in Worship (Choristers Guild, 1999). He has authored numerous articles and has contributed to several dictionaries. He serves as editor for two series of books - the "Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Liturgical Studies Series" (Eerdmans) and "Vital Worship, Healthy Congregations" (Alban Institute) - as well as co-editor, with Pearl Shangkuan, of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship Music Series (GIA).

Seminars 2006 Index

For further information contact:
Seminars in Christian Scholarship
Calvin College
1855 Knollcrest Circle SE
Grand Rapids MI 49546-4402
616.526.8558
fax 616.526.6682
seminars@calvin.edu