Want to study about worship with me? OK, that’s a funny way to say it. But from time to time, people ask when and where I’ll be teaching in an academic context, since it is not what I primarily do. Occasionally I teach a seminar or a workshop at conference or university. Those events are listed here.
But, now, there are two exciting new academic modules that I’ll be teaching in the 2019-2020 school year. One is for Doctoral students (the basic requirement is a Master’s degree); the other is a Master’s degree course. One is in Denver; the other is in Durham (England).
DURHAM UNIVERSITY, ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE: Studying Contemporary Worship (Intensive module in the MA in Theology and Ministry) Taught with Professor Pete Ward, this module introduces the emerging field of Contemporary Worship Studies. The module reflects the widespread influence of this style of worship in the Church worldwide and the need for more sustained and theologically informed ways of evaluating the influence of Contemporary Worship. Taught by Professor Pete Ward and me.
The module will aim to:
Introduce students to the field of Contemporary Worship Studies
Facilitate the development of theological forms of evaluation of contemporary forms of worship
Enable students to develop basic skills for qualitative research in the field of Contemporary Worship Studies.
This module will involve:
An overview of the development of Contemporary Worship
An account of current scholarship in the theological and empirical study of Contemporary Worship
Qualitative Research Methods
Contemporary Paradigms of Congregational Worship
Upon successful completion of the module students will have gained:
An overview of the development of contemporary worship
An understanding of theological paradigms to critically evaluate contemporary worship
The foundations for the Qualitative Empirical Study of worship.
Upon successful completion of the module students will be able to:
Analyse theological texts related to worship
Design and implement a small-scale research project
Critically evaluate different paradigms and practice in the field of worship
Reason theologically in relation to practice
Make links between theoretical frameworks and the practice of religious communities
Develop small scale research related to ministerial and ecclesial life.
In addition to some online work, students are required to attend the intensive module which will meet in Durham, England, February 3-5, 2020.
Learn more about the Module ‘Studying Contemporary Worship’. Learn more about the MA in Theology and Ministry at Durham. Learn more about St. John’s College and Cranmer Hall.
Email Nick Moore to express interest or to learn more: nicholas.j.moore@durham.ac.uk
DENVER SEMINARY: Theology and Practice of Worship: Personal and Corporate (D.Min. Module)
This class focuses on what it means to worship, both individually and as a group or congregation. This course draws from biblical theology, philosophy, and sociology to equip students to engage in robust theological reflection on personal and corporate worship practices. The student will learn to blend a prescriptive approach to worship practices with a descriptive analysis of practices in context. This will involve the whole biblical range of practices and postures, content and cultures, the senses and the spirit of personal and corporate worship. This class will prepare you to guide times of well-rounded worship for yourself, for a group you’re part of, or for your congregation.
This course contributes to Denver Seminary’s mission by helping students to develop a Biblical theology of worship, and to learn how to integrate sociological analysis with theological reflection of personal and corporate worship practices in context, all while cultivating personal worship practices.
Course objectives
To develop a broad, Biblical theology of worship;
To develop a paradigm for practical theology that integrates Biblical theology with philosophy and sociology;
To learn how to conduct small-scale qualitative empirical research on congregational worship practices in context, integrating theological reflection with sociological analysis in order to evaluate the cognitive, affective, and phenomenological dimensions of personal and congregational worship practices;
To engage with various devotional worship practices such as Psalm-praying, the Prayer of Examen, and contemporary worship music.
The class can be taken for credit toward a Doctor of Ministry degree or for personal enrichment. A limited number of auditors will be admitted.
Book list:
The class begins with the reading assignments in October, and culminates with a one-week intensive seminar on the Littleton (Denver) campus January 6-10, 2020.
Click HERE for more info about the course. Learn more about Denver Seminary.