Christian Worship: 100,000 Sundays of Symbols and Rituals [Hardcover]

Gail Ramshaw (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2009

This unique textbook not only lays out the religious-studies framework of a contemporary understanding of worship, it also offers a full history of Christian worship in each historical period, including the American experience. In light of this history of experiences, Ramshaw finally addresses ongoing issues in our understanding of Christian Worship (gender, authority, ethics, skepticism) and places them into an explicitly cross-religious framework with Islam, Judaism, and other religions.

Gail Ramshaw is one of today's most important and influential thinkers about liturgy, is also a dedicated college professor with a keen sense for how to approach the full array of Christian worship experience in light of the contemporary study of religion.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gail Ramshaw is a scholar of liturgical language and Professor of Religion at La Salle University. She served on the Revised Common Lectionary design committee and on the Church's Year task force for the Renewing Worship project of the ELCA. Her many publications include Treasures Old and New, Between Sundays, and God beyond Gender.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Fortress Press (March 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800662334
• ISBN-13: 978-0800662332
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #225,762 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gail Ramshaw is a premier historian and theologian of Christian liturgy, and her contributions to understanding and shaping American Christian worship in the last 25 years are formidable. Here she offers a novel and creative way to bridge the great cultural divide between today's student and the chief Christian rites rooted in the ancient world. Eschewing the usual theoretical explanations of liturgy as well as simple narratives of the development of Christian worship, Ramshaw instead focuses on the experience of liturgy. She shows how the roots of Christian liturgy--ritual, symbol, sacred language and chant--have developed over the centuries in very distinctive ways and left us with a rich but also embattled heritage.This unique textbook not only lays out the religious-studies framework of a contemporary understanding of worship, it also offers a full history of Christian worship in each historical period, including the American experience. In light of this history of experiences, Ramshaw finally addresses ongoing issues (gender, authority, ethics, skepticism) and places them into an explicitly cross-religious framework with Islam, Judaism, and other traditions.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Introduction to the world of Christian Worship, March 29, 2009

By 

Charles Vogl (CT, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Christian Worship: 100,000 Sundays of Symbols and Rituals (Hardcover)

This book is such a great introduction into the diversity of Christian worship. Most importantly it provides a narrative on how the breadth of Christian worship diversified. In this way the reader can make sense of traditions that appear completely opposed to one another and still claim a common heritage.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good basic textbook, March 22, 2009

By 

Ladybug "Ladybug Story" - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Christian Worship: 100,000 Sundays of Symbols and Rituals (Hardcover)

This book is an excellent introduction to worship. If you have no idea of the basic terminology of church, liturgy and worship or if you have no idea of the history of Christian worship, this book is a must-have. Great pictures! Good basic unbiased text. Not recommended for anyone who is looking for more depth.

2.0 out of 5 stars After the First Chapter, September 7, 2011

By 

Wendell Hendershott "Wenshott" (Corvallis, Oregon) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Christian Worship: 100,000 Sundays of Symbols and Rituals (Hardcover)

After the first chapter, I must admit I was not impressed with Ramshaw's introduction to this text. While I think she has hit on a valid approach, her introductory chapter was less than engaging. Perhaps that is simply the nature of such introductions to such broad topics. It needs something to make it more concise and not try to cover so much territory. It is clear that this first chapter will need to be reworked for the next edition, should there ever be one. While one does not judge a book by its cover, judging a book by its first chapter is most likely just as dangerous. I will read on, and hope for better content and ideas.