Liturgical Theology

by Chan, Simon

• ISBN13: 9780830827633
• ISBN10: 0830827633
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-07-31
• Publisher: Ivp Academic

Summary

Bad worship produces bad theology, and bad theology produces an unhealthy church.InLiturgical Theology,Simon Chan issues a call to evangelicals to develop a mature theology of the church--an ecclesiology that is grounded in the church's identity as a worshiping community. Evangelicals, he argues, are confused about the meaning and purpose of the church in part because they have an inadequate understanding of Christian worship. As a remedy for this ailment, Chan presents a coherent theology of the church that pays particular attention to the liturgical practices that have constituted Christian worship throughout the centuries. With a seasoned eye and steady hand, he guides the reader through these practices and unpacks their significance for theology, spirituality and the renewal of evangelicalism in the postmodern era.Chan's proposal advances the conversation among evangelicals regarding the relationship between theology and worship. In contrast to some theologians who have tended to emphasize a sociological analysis, Chan argues that we need to consider what is essential to the church's theological identity. Drawing on the larger Christian tradition, Chan argues that we discover that identity primarily in the structure and significance of Christian worship.

Author Biography

Simon Chan (Ph.D., Cambridge) is Earnest Lau Professor of Systematic Theology at Trinity Theological College in Singapore

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	8	(1)
Introduction	9	(12)
PART ONE: FOUNDATIONS
1 The Ontology of the Church	21	(20)
2 The Worship of the Church	41	(21)
3 The Shape of the Liturgy	62	(23)
4 The Liturgy as Ecclesial Practice	85	(16)
PART TWO: PRACTICES
5 The Catechumenate	101	(25)
6 The Sunday Liturgy	126	(21)
7 Active Participation	147	(20)
Notes	167	(31)
Name Index	198	(2)
Subject Index	200	(8)
Scripture Index	208