Description

---

In discussions of worship, the term 'participation' covers a lot of ground. It refers not only to concrete acts in gathered liturgy, but also to some of the loftiest claims of Christian theology. In this book, Alan Rathe probes the ways in which North American evangelicals have in recent years regarded the landscape of participation. Rathe presents a broad review of evangelical worship literature through a lens borrowed from medieval theology. This brings into surprising focus not only evangelical understandings but also evangelical identities and the historical traditions they reflect, and offers fresh perspectives on such current theological concerns as God's triunity, missio Dei, and the practical theology of participation. Offering a fresh contribution to a young but important discipline, the liturgically-informed study of evangelical worship practice, this book reconnects the evangelical tradition to the 'Great Tradition' and in the process re-appropriates classic concepts that are full of promise for contemporary ecumenical dialogue.

About the Author

---

Alan Rathe earned his PhD in Liturgical Studies from Drew University (Madison, New Jersey, USA). The recipient of numerous academic awards, he has taught seminary worship studies for the past decade, currently at Asbury Theological Seminary (Wilmore, KY). During that time he has also served as worship pastor for a multicultural, evangelical urban church in Flushing, New York. He seeks to bridge his training in ecumenical liturgical scholarship with his extensive practical experience with evangelical worship. More specifically, his ministry and teaching, combined with a lively background in music and theater, have spurred him on to a deep interest in (and scholarly focus upon) the theory and practice of participation.