Resources

“Gather into One: Praying and Singing with Christians Worldwide”
Director: C. Michael Hawn, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University

More than ever before, hymnals and denominational worship books reflect varied cultural influences both abroad and within their countries of origin. While many welcome this plethora of resources from the world church, others respond with resistance, discomfort or confusion. A host of important questions arises, including: What is faithful Christian worship in a culturally pluralistic society? What is the role of traditional worship structures in an age of cultural diversity? How might leaders present rites, rituals, and music from other cultures without offending or stereotyping persons from these cultures? Does multicultural worship speak to a postmodern perspective? Perhaps the ultimate question is—how do local congregations worship with the church universal?

This seminar explored global worship within the context of trends in worldwide Christianity. Participants observed and took part in a breadth of liturgical rituals, artistic expressions, and musical forms from Christian communities around the world. The focus was on selected cultural settings in Africa, Asia and Latin America, as well as minority cultures in the United States. The goals of this course were to understand the basic issues in liturgical enculturation, experience cross-cultural worship, develop participant-observer skills in liturgical situations, plan and lead cross-cultural liturgies with integrity, and reflect theologically on culturally conscious worship.