Story-Shaped Worship - by Robbie F Castleman (Paperback)

About the Book

In Story-Shaped Worship Robbie Castleman attempts nothing less than to uncover the fundamental shape of worship. Right worship doesn't require a traditionalist return to earlier forms of church, she argues, but a fresh response to God in light of the revealed patterns of worship we find in the Bible and church history.

Book Synopsis

What is the right way to worship?Right worship does not require a return to the identical forms found in the early church or later in Rome or after that in Westminster. What it calls for is a faithful response today to the God of our salvation in light of those biblically ordered and historically informed patterns.In this study Robbie Castleman uncovers the fundamental shape of worship. What she finds--outlined in Scripture, enacted in Israel, refocused in the New Testament community, guarded by the apostolic fathers, and recovered in the Reformation--is a grand narrative of redemption offering order and meaning to all worshiping communities down to the present day.

Review Quotes

"A passionate and heartfelt book, which urges that we recover a much-needed stress in worship on the narrative of salvation at the heart of the gospel. In the midst of numerous 'worship wars' we badly need books that reorient us to what really matters."

"Castleman clearly joins her voice to those of others who are pointing toward the need for biblical and confessional renewal in worship settings where contemporary evangelical influence pervades. All those with a passion for biblical teaching and liturgical formation will find much on offer in her work."

"Castleman's careful study of the biblical and historical patterns of worship should put to rest any doubt about the nature of Christian worship. Worship is not about meeting the needs of individuals but the reenactment of and participation in the grand story of the triune God. I strongly urge pastors and worship leaders to read this book before they attempt to revise their Sunday service."

"Evangelicals need to recover a theology of presence in their public worship today. Robbie Castleman encourages us to do exactly that by presenting here a richly textured and nuanced study of how liturgy interacts with spiritual life, all framed in the context of how the church has remembered and recited the story of Jesus as the story of Israel's God. A book of biblical wisdom and theological depth."

"If I had to choose just one to recommend, I would choose Castleman's book for its balance of scholarship and accessibility and its consistency in application of the underlying philosophy to issues such as musical form in worship."

"In Story-Shaped Worship Robbie Castleman carefully explores the biblical basis for worship, not as something that pleases us, the worshipper, but as something meant to be pleasing to God. She then puts this in historical and practical contexts in a way that is both winsome and wise. This book is a wonderful, carefully written guide that will be helpful for worship leaders, pastors or anyone who cares about worshiping well. I'm already looking forward to working through the excellent discussion questions at the end of each chapter with other worship leaders in my church. What a great resource!"

"Robbie Castleman has written a book that brings sanity to the worship wars. The sweep of her engagement with biblical and theological material is very impressive, and her conclusions are rightly challenging to all sides. The clarity of writing and the straightforward treatment make this a book that is accessible to anyone who wants to worship in ways that please God. This book deserves to be on ministers' must-read lists, on adult Sunday school curriculum and well thumbed by congregational worship committees."

"Robbie Castleman's Story-Shaped Worship skillfully places the biblical teachings on worship within the larger narrative of salvation history. It represents a valuable contribution to the resurgent evangelical interest in the theology and practice of worship. I heartily commend it to all pastors and seminarians who want to take worship to the next level of excellence."

"Though we feel drawn by the Spirit into holy space to see and worship God, what we call worship too often reflects merely our own needs and desires. Yet how we worship God must be linked with why we worship him, the central Storyteller of all creation. A wise and deep researcher, Robbie Castleman showcases how story-shaped liturgical patterns form the seasons of the Christian year."

About the Author

Robbie F. Castleman is associate professor of biblical studies and theology at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. She previously served for several years as a staff member with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.