African American Christian Worship [Paperback]

Melva Wilson Costen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1993

Pastors and congregations are seeking "liturgical renewal"--ways to enourage wholeness, freedom, and spontaneity in worship while remaining faithful to the gospel. In this book, Melva Wilson Costen demonstrates how the characteristics of traditional African American worship can enrich the worship experience.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Melva Wilson Costen, a native of South Carolina, retired as Helmar Emil Nielsen Professor of Worship and Music, choral director, and chair of the church music degree program at Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia. She subsequently became the Visiting Professor of Liturgical Studies at the Institute of Sacred Music at Yale Divinity School in New Haven, Connecticut. She remains active in the Civil Rights Movement and as a teacher and consultant in area of church music, liturgy, and curriculum development. (2006) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Abingdon Press; 1 edition (January 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0687009316
• ISBN-13: 978-0687009312
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #558,609 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Starter Book, May 9, 2008

By 

Big Sistah Patty (USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: African American Christian Worship: 2nd Edition (Paperback)

I thought this book was a great starter book for those who have little knowledge of AA worship. My main problem with the text it is a little to academic for the masses - a little too much jargon. But I could relate to much of what stated from my personal and family experiences.

A book that gives you more details of how Africans evolved into Afro Baptist, I would highly recommend Mechal Sobel's Been in the Storm Too Long." This book is excellent and can compliment this book. She deserves reading. She speaks truth.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars History and Current Ministry United, September 1, 2007

By 

Robert W. Kellemen "Doc. K." (Crown Point, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: African American Christian Worship (Paperback)

Melva Wilson Costen's "African American Christian Worship, though now nearly a decade old, remains an undated core text for understanding the African American Christian religious experience. From a Caucasian perspective, some may mistake "worship" in the title as referring to one part of a Sunday morning service. As Costen, and African American Church history demonstrate, nothing could be further from the truth. "Worship" is a 24/7 experience of God and the gathered community of God's people meet to celebrate what God has done and to empower one another with what He will continue to do.

Costen's strength is her ability to tap into the history of African American Christianity. In fact, in many ways this book is just that--a history of African American corporate worship. Moving from the bitter waters of enslavement, to the Invisible Institution, to the Praise House, Costen shows both the actions and the theology behind those actions. She then beautifully ties together these historical foundations with the modern Christian worship experience of contemporary African American churches. For anyone wanting a well-researched history of the gathered African American Church, this is a great source.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction .

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Resource for African American Christian Worship, July 18, 2000

By 

Lorna L. Wilson - See all my reviews

This review is from: African American Christian Worship (Paperback)

It would take me several pages to adequately write a review that expresses the scholarship contained in this book. I am honored to be able to review this text because it is such an outstanding piece of work. I know that this book has been discussed by the academy, clergy, students, and laypersons alike. It is a very scholarly, well researched, and organized writing on African American Christian worship. I really don't know where to begin because there are just so many great things I could say about this book. It is a must for every library of scholars interested in the area of worship. I used this book as a primary resource for a seminary graduate project in music. But the book has much more to offer and is not limited to any one topic of worship. Costen starts with a discussion of the theology of African American worship and how this relates to our "core belief" system and our "doctrine of God." She notes that African American worship can be characterized in general as "experiential." African people "tend to seek to know God personally rather than to know about God from doctrines and creeds." She presents music, preaching, prayer, ritual, and shouting as a means of communication and empowerment in worship. These acts are also described as "celebrative acts of worship" that engage the community of faith into divine communion with God and with one another. From a historical perspective, Costen begins with worship in the Invisible Institution and discusses how it uniquely shaped the culture of worship for African American people. Later on, she provides a historical summary of the African American denominations and congregations and the history behind their formation. The book has much more than I could ever discuss - from a detailed history of African American music to a contemporary model for worship. This book is very well written, scholarly, and simple to read. It is a must for every library.