Worship and the Reality of God: An Evangelical Theology of Real Presence [Paperback]

John Jefferson Davis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 29, 2010

Is God missing from our worship? Obstacles to true worship are not about contemporary or traditional music, electronic gadgetry or seeker sensitivity. Rather it is the habits of mind and heart, conditioned by our surrounding culture, that hinder our faith in the real presence of the transcendent God among his people. Sensing a real need for renewal, John Jefferson Davis offers a theology of worship that uncovers the most fundamental barriers to our vital involvement in the worship of our holy God. His profound theological analysis leads to fresh and bracing recommendations that will be especially helpful to all those who lead worship or want to more fully and deeply encounter the glory and majesty of God.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"If you're wondering why evangelical worship is often so thin--and what can be done about it--you could hardly do better than to read this book. Professor Davis offers a cogent and deep analysis combined with arresting reflections on the nature of worship. I'll be reading it again, to be sure." (Mark Galli, senior managing editor, Christianity Today )

"Professor Davis recaptures what has been lost in most contemporary worship: a theologically rich understanding of the presence of God in our midst during congregational worship and of how we should rightly respond to this incomparable Reality. This is a book to reawaken the heart and mind to true worship, and as such, it is desperately needed." (Douglas Groothuis, Ph.D., professor of philosophy, Denver Seminary )

"John Jefferson Davis is one of the most thoughtful persons I know. In his new book, Worship and the Reality of God, he reminds us that a follower of Jesus inhabits an alternate reality. With passion and verve, he invites readers to a deeper sense of what it means to worship God. He casts a grand vision that is 'Reformed in its soteriology, trinitarian in its understanding of theology, doxological in seeing worship as the highest priority of the church, charismatic in its affirmation of the gifts and presence of the Spirit in the life of the congregation, and liturgical in its ancient-modern form of worship.' I dare say this vision will find resonance with all kinds of Christians, from emerging Christians to traditionalists, from the new monastics to the megachurches. Not everyone will agree with Davis at every point, but I promise you, he will make you think." (Frank A. James, provost and professor of historical theology, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary )

About the Author

John Jefferson Davis is professor of systematic theology and Christian ethics at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he has taught since 1975. He has published for many years in both theological and scientific journals. He is the winner of several Templeton Foundation awards, including the Award for Quality and Excellence in the Teaching of Science and Religion (1998), as well as the National Institutes of Health Grant, National Human Genome Research Institute (2002).

Product Details

• Paperback: 231 pages
• Publisher: IVP Academic (September 29, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830838848
• ISBN-13: 978-0830838844
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #82,197 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #71 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Worship & Devotion > Rites & Ceremonies
  • #97 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Ministry & Church Leadership > Church Institutions & Organizations

More About the Author

John Jefferson Davis, PhD, is Associate Professor of Theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding, January 17, 2011

By 

A. Morgan (Virginia, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Worship and the Reality of God: An Evangelical Theology of Real Presence (Paperback)

Evangelical / reformed worship can easily be reduced to a few songs, some prayers and the sermon; the sermon being the main focus of the Church gathering. While not neglecting the importance and value of good preaching John Jefferson Davis exhorts the church to rediscover the value and importance of `worship'. For Davis, worship has to be an intentional activity - worship does not just happen but is a learned behavior. To be done successfully, it must be done knowledgeably, intentionally and skillfully. Note the words knowledgeably, intentionally and skillfully. This book is about a thoughtful and intentional approach to what worship is and how that looks in today's evangelical church. The goal, the result of this is not a greater `experience' but the `real' presence of God in our services. Acknowledging that God is there - he is with us and in us and that the church has gathered knowing that the living God is there to meet with us and we are there to glorify Him and to enjoy being in his presence.

Developing a real theology of worship is vital for pastors and Davis' book is really a must read. I was surprised at how good this book is and what a valuable resource it will be to church leaders. This is not just about a good theology of worship but this book should excite you to worship.

Highly recommended.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A New Mindset for Worship, December 2, 2010

By 

Dan Deaton - See all my reviews

This review is from: Worship and the Reality of God: An Evangelical Theology of Real Presence (Paperback)

If you are a pastor who is worn out from dealing with people who left the church because "there is no toilet paper in the ladies' room and it is all your fault," READ THIS BOOK. If you are a church member who is weary of attending worship services that could pass for rock concerts, or alternatively, meetings of the local PTA, READ THIS BOOK.

When I learned that Dr. Davis had written another book, I got it right away. I had read and profited from his many other books, and since I travel frequently, I planned to read it on my next long flight. Instead, I devoured it in a few hours after I opened it and read the first chapter. It is his best book, the most passionately written, and given the subject matter, the most important. I hope it is widely read and taught.

Here is the thesis in a sentence: Much of what passes for Christian life and worship today is cut off from its historic Christian roots and does not sufficiently recognize and support the connection of the worshipper with the living God.

As a leader of worship and as a worshipper, I am hungry for an experience with the reality of the Triune God. Unfortunately, I have all too often presided over or participated in worship services that could be considered Biblically orthodox, but left me sensing that there should be more to worship.

In this book, Dr. Davis takes the reader on a biblical and historical study of the nature of the presence of the living Christ with his church and in the celebration of the Lord's Supper. Through the use of creative cyberspace analogies and thoughtful illustrations, the reader is stretched to understand how the omnipresent Triune God may manifest himself in rich and personal ways as the worshipper connects with him in worship.

Fellow pastors and worshippers: get out your Bible and read it as you use Worship and the Reality of God as a study guide. You won't be disappointed, and you might just discover anew what one man learned when he wandered into an early worship service: "God is really among you!" (I Cor 14:25).

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Big Idea of Worship and the Reality of God, January 12, 2011

By 

Ryan Michael Kocak "rm Kocak" - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Worship and the Reality of God: An Evangelical Theology of Real Presence (Paperback)

WORSHIP AND THE REALITY OF GOD : AN EVANGELICAL THEOLOGY OF REAL PRESENCE

By: John Jefferson Davis

Article written by: rm Kocak (for full preview visit my blog at [...])

"As its central concern this book argues that American evangelical churches need to recover a sense of the holiness and majesty of God, and of the real, personal presence of the risen Christ in the midst of his people in the power of the Spirit as the central realities of biblical worship."

- Worship and the Reality of God, pg. 33.

John Jefferson Davis has written a gift to modern American evangelicals in Worship and the Reality of God. Davis prophetically calls pastors and church leaders to consider the realities that are shaping the worship experience in most churches. Davis goes to great length in the book to explain the extent that modern and post-modern ontologies (views of reality) have covertly saturated our lives. As a result, we as Evangelicals now have an inadequate understanding of the nature of the church (ecclesiology) as well as a theology of worship (doxology).

After a chapter of introduction Davis structures his book around four themes:

God, The Church and the Self, Why God has been lost and where we can look to find him.
Reality in Worship, The Real Presence of God on Sunday Morning
The Eucharist, Meeting the Risen Christ at the Table
From Ontology to Doxology, From theory to practice in worship renewal.

Davis uses a lot of very technical and heavy words in this book (ex- ontology, ecclesiology, epistemology, aseity, theanthropic, ect.); however, as a teacher he goes to great lengths to explain and define the meanings of these words. When you are finished reading this book you are not only left challenged, but more theologically educated. The last chapter "From Ontology to Doxology" is written to pastors, elders, deacons, bishops, and church leaders in a way so that they may practically implement some of the theological concepts that were plotted out in the first four chapters of the book.

The Big Idea

"Your "God" is too "light"; your vision of the church is too low; your view of your self is too high, and consequently, your worship is too shallow."

- Worship and the Reality of God, pg. 38.

Davis spends two chapters working specifically on the ontology of God, the Church and the Self and on the reality of Worship. Two theories of reality that impact Christian worship are scientific naturalism (modernity) and postmodern virtuality (postmodernity). Davis goes into depth of what these often loaded terms mean and gives every day examples of how they work to shape the American view of reality. What I appreciate about Davis is that he always offers vision for his critiques. Davis describes the ontology of the church as, "High, Heavy and Theantrophic" and of the self as, "Trinitarian, Ecclesial and Doxological."

Seed Idea #1

"Just as the risen Lord was present to the disciples at Emmaus, so it is today that "he is present 'in the midst' at every Eucharist as the true celebrant; present, according to this point of view, rather 'at' than 'on' the Holy Table, personally feeding his own with the sacred gifts, and imparting his own great gift, the forgiveness of sins and communion with God through him."

- Worship and the Reality of God, pgs. 145-146.

The chapter on the Eucharist is phenomenal for the liturgical novice and expert alike. Davis takes the reader through the Reformation conflicts, the Eucharistic liturgy of the early church, the four-fold action of historical worship, and traces how the "real presence" in worship has become a "real absence" in the majority of American evangelical churches. The footnotes alone in this section make my heart happy with names like: Gregory Dix, Simon Chan, Brilioth, J.J. Von Allmen, John Robinson, White, Calvin, Luther, ect.

Seed Idea #2

"The Bible, the sacraments and the liturgy are the software; the church building, furnishings and musical instruments are the hardware; the mind of the triune God is the heavenly server that archives all the software and the history of its action."

- Worship and the Reality of God, pg. 110.

Davis is a theologian, ethicist, and worshiper. He has written numerous articles and a book (The Frontiers of Science & Faith) on the relationship between science and faith. Davis draws on this background in explaining some of the abstract concepts of reality and the real presence of God in worship. Davis uses the examples of the World of Warcraft, Google search algorithms, the Matrix, holograms, and cyberspace in his numerous examples. The inner nerd in me smiled many times.

Overall, Worship and the Reality of God remains a must read for ALL Evangelical students, pastors, teachers, and worshipers. It is a challenging, prophetic, balanced, educational, and timely word for the American church.

Liturgical Theology: The Church as Worshiping CommunityThe Idea of the Holy