Introducing Dance in Christian Worship [Paperback]

Ronald Gagne (Author), Thomas Kane (Author), Robert Vereecke (Author), Donna LA Rue (Author), Gloria Weyman (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 222 pages
• Publisher: Pastoral Pr; Rev edition (March 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156929030X
• ISBN-13: 978-1569290309
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,371,004 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Misrepresentation of the facts of Scripture and the early Christian Church, February 4, 2012

By 

D. LeVie, Jr. (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Introducing Dance in Christian Worship (Paperback)

This book is short on biblical prescription and long on personal preference for promoting dance and "dance ministries" in Christian worship. The following review content is excerpted from my upcoming book, SAFEGUARDING THE SANCTUARY:GUARDING AGAINST CULTURAL TROJAN HORSES IN CHRISTIAN WORSHIP (Kings Crown Publishing, March 2012)...

Regarding dance in the Old Testament:
1. Scripture and history indicate that dancing was never part of divine worship in the Temple, synagogue, and early church
2. Of the twenty-eight references to dance or dancing in the Old Testament, only four can be considered to refer to religious dancing (Psalm 149:3; Psalm 150:4; 2 Samuel 6:14-16), but none of these relate to worship in God's house, and two of them (Psalm verses) may not actually refer to dancing at all.
3. Social dancing in Old Testament time was performed mostly in conjunction with the celebration of religious events, especially the annual festivals. The dance was performed outside the Temple by women, children, or men, as separate groups, and not as male-female couples.
4. The women, who performed most of the dancing, were excluded from the music ministry of the Temple, synagogue, and early church because, according to some scholars, their style of music was associated with dancing and entertainment.

To apply the biblical notion of dance to modern dance is misleading, to say the least.

WHAT THE NEW TESTAMENT SAYS ABOUT DANCE
Too many dance ministry proponents cite the five mentions of dance in the New Testament as evidence that such an expression is endorsed by the text. Of the five instances of the word "dance" mentioned in the New Testament, four of them use the term in a pejorative sense. Both Matthew 11:16-17 and Luke 7:31-32 reference the same occurrence nearly identically, where Jesus was admonishing a crowd about who John the Baptist really was, and comparing the crowd's attitude toward John to whiny children in the marketplace.

Both Matthew 14:6 and Mark 6:22 reference the dance of Salome that was in a secular and provocative context, which therefore had absolutely no relevance to worship or even religion for that matter.

The fifth mention of "dance" in the New Testament is in the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 12:21-29) that references a celebration that included music, a banquet, and dancing.

In all mentions of dance in the New Testament, none is associated with worship, which leads to these conclusions:

* There is no precedent in the New Testament for including any kind of dance or dance form in the specific context of worship. There is not a single suggestion, hint, or allusion to anything resembling "praise and worship" or "liturgical" dance in the New Testament.
* The New Testament and especially the Gospels are devoid of any mention by Jesus or the apostles of teaching, encouraging, or participating in dance as a form of worship or praise.
The New Covenant brought with it many changes in worship practices, in particular where in John 4:21-24, Jesus states in speaking to the Samaritan woman that "a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth..." The physical manifestations of worship common in the Old Testament and the Old Covenant--animal sacrifices, burnt offerings, Saturday Sabbath, tents and tabernacles, the physical temple, priests serving as intercessors--and other external manifestations of holiness were being replaced by worship "in spirit." This teaching has support in I Corinthians 14:14-15:

"...I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind."

The new and early church incorporated elements of Jewish worship because that is what they knew. However, there is no mention of dancing with the spirit in either the Old or New Testament (but praying and singing in the spirit are part of the New Testament).

5.0 out of 5 stars comprehensive, February 21, 2010

By 

S. babcock "happy feet" (FL, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Introducing Dance in Christian Worship (Paperback)

This book is great! The first time I read it, it was borrowed, and I had to really resist highlighting all the great things I found! I got my own copy so I could highlight and make notes to my heart's content- it's helpful for getting me started in beginning my first dance ministry in my own congregation :) Educational and comprehensive