A Sociological History of Christian Worship

This book provides a 2000 year history of Christian worship in its social context.

Martin D. Stringer (Author)

9780521819558, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 14 July 2005

278 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.9 cm, 0.58 kg

'In seeking to apply a sociological perspective to 2,000 years of Christian worship, Martin Stringer's ambitious study is … greatly to be welcomed and he has produced an original, fascinating, and thought-provoking book … Stringer's focus on 'discourse' helpfully enables consideration not just of idealised statements about worship … but also 'real utterances and actual events' … a firm commitment to one chapter for every 300 years lends the book an even-handedness too often lacking … Stringer confesses that his primary purpose in writing the book 'is to try and encourage others to become excited by the ideas and studies that I am presenting'. In this, for me, he not only succeeds greatly, but also offers a new kind of critical, theoretical edge to the study of Christian worship in history that should engage students and more experienced researchers alike.' Journal of Contemporary Religion

In this book the 2000 year history of Christian worship is viewed from a sociological perspective. Martin Stringer develops the idea of discourse as a way of understanding the place of Christian worship within its many and diverse social contexts. Beginning with the Biblical material the author provides a broad survey of changes over 2000 years of the Christian church, together with a series of case studies that highlight particular elements of the worship, or specific theoretical applications. Stringer does not simply examine the mainstream traditions of Christian worship in Europe and Byzantium, but also gives space to lesser-known traditions in Armenia, India, Ethiopia and elsewhere. Offering a contribution to the ongoing debate that breaks away from a purely textual or theological study of Christian worship, this book provides a greater understanding of the place of worship in its social and cultural context.

Introduction: discourse, devotion and embodiment
1. Early Christian worship, texts and contexts to AD 300
2. Worship and the Christianisation of public spaces 300–600
3. Hegemonic discourses in the worship of Empires 600–900
4. The dominant discourse of cosmological Christianity 900–1200
5. Accessing the demotic discourses of devotion 1200–1500
6. Worship and the rise of humanistic discourses 1500–1800
7. The globalisation of Christian worship 1800–2000.

Subject Areas: Sociology & anthropology [JH], Religion: general [HRA]