Worship and Power

“In Free Church traditions, the ways worship shapes us can appear confusing to some, like theological signatures written in invisible ink, only discernible to those with he means of revealing hidden text and meaning. Worship and Power is a bold, winsome, and insightful collection of essays that changes the ink so a wider, ecumenical community can consider the swirling flow and pathways of the Holy Spirit’s power when Christians gather in numbers small and large, in spaces closed and open.”


—Malinda Elizabeth Berry, associate professor of theology and ethics, Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary





“As Christianity is being de-formed by ideological intersections of nationalism, capitalism, and white supremacy, Johnson and Wymer present a provocative volume addressing problematic religious histories that helped give rise to current spiritual and political locations of Free Churches. Through the lenses of worship and liturgy, Worship and Power invites readers to explore how congregational practices can inform, impact, and re-form churches, communities, and a flailing society that desperately need a church who knows where her true power lies.”


—Lisa M. Allen-McLaurin, professor of church music and worship, The Interdenominational Theological Center





“Some books are germane because they cover a topic that is critical. Some books are relevant because they fill a vacuum that exists in scholarly literature. But some books are important because they are both. And so it is with Worship and Power. Addressing the question of authority in these very tumultuous times and helping to overcome the paucity of scholarship on Free Church worship, this book is a welcome and needed addition to liturgical studies.”


—Lester Ruth, research professor of Christian worship, Duke Divinity School





“A breakthrough work by a new generation of liturgical scholars examining the heretofore neglected Free Church traditions of worship, asking the right questions for these times and then addressing them with cutting edge scholarship, critical skill, and pastoral concern. This admirably collaborative project should prove both encouraging and challenging for the churches, as well as informative to the wider liturgical academy.”


—Bruce T. Morrill, SJ, chair of Roman Catholic studies, Vanderbilt University





“This is an essential book written by dynamic and diverse contributors representing a wide range of Free Church traditions. It invites the reader into dialogue with liturgical authority to reimagine power and practice with fresh insight and awareness. Worship leaders and scholars from a variety of backgrounds will benefit from this sound body of work as it deepens their engagement with questions of worship and power through this visionary work.”


—Khalia Williams, associate dean of worship and spiritual formation, Emory University





“We don’t often think of worship in terms of power and authority, but this social dynamic certainly exists and is significant for our holistic formation. In Worship and Power, Johnson and Wymer invite scholars to engage the power structures of various Free Church denominational traditions. What results is an intriguing and robust dialogue that can help us understand how our worship forms us and why it matters.”


—Steven Félix-Jäger, chair of worship arts and media, Life Pacific University





“Embedded in worship is power: the contrast of God’s power with the ‘powers and principalities’ of this one; the power of presiders and laity; the power of worship to empower and transform worshippers. The contributors take up these negotiations of the power of worship with accountability, clarity, and faithfulness. This volume amplifies voices from the Free Church traditions in the field of Liturgical Studies, and it is a needed and revelatory series of reflections.”


—Stephanie Perdew, professor of history, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary





“Worship and Power is a multifaceted and nuanced scholarly conversation about how power is constructed in worship, and how it can challenge and re-envision other kinds of power. Important but understudied practices from various Free Church traditions are examined using critical theory and an uncompromising ethical commitment to the most vulnerable. This conversation is important not only for Free Church scholars, but for all who do work with liturgy, ritual, or political theology.”


—Kimberly Belcher, associate professor of theology, University of Notre Dame





“‘Free Churches’—an umbrella term for congregations in the Anabaptist, Baptist, Congregationalist, Evangelical, and Pentecostal traditions—are a notoriously difficult group to pin down. This beautifully curated collection of essays opens a window into the fascinating world of their worship, illuminating commonalities, exposing tensions, and setting new agendas for future research. Essential reading for all who study, shape. and practice Christian worship.”


—Melanie Ross, associate professor of liturgical studies, Yale Divinity School





“In this illuminating and accessible book, Johnson and Wymer bring together a varied group of scholars to engage crucial questions of power and authority within Free Church worship. With pastoral sensitivity and prophetic criticism, the diverse voices in this volume give readers the conceptual tools necessary to reflect deeply on the inner workings of power within Christian congregations. This book will become required reading for liturgical and worship scholars, along with ministers, seminarians, and lay Christians seeking to critically consider their own congregational worship practices.”


—Monique Ingalls, associate professor of music, Baylor University





“Addressing a huge lacuna of worship/liturgy done in and from Free Churches, this very rich collection of essays documents, questions, challenges, and lays out power dynamics within communities, the place of authority between clergy and members, and the hidden/open relations between communities and state. Always at stake, this book wrestles with power structures that determine who we are, the places we inhabit, the mission we carry, what to be a church is all about, and what it means to be Christians.”


—Claudio Carvalhaes, professor of worship, Union Theological Seminary of New York City