BOOK REVIEW:
A More Profound Alleluia: Theology and Worship in Harmony. Edited by Leanne Van Dyk. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2005. 153 pages. ISBN 080282854X.

In this age of increased specialization, the need for interdisciplinary dialogue is particularly crucial. In response to this need, A More Profound Alleluia: Theology and Worship in Harmony raises a series of helpful voices that point to ways that classic theological themes relate to movements within the shape and pattern of Lord’s Day worship. In so doing, the authors accomplish this essential task as well as advance the cause of furthering theological dialogue within the context of an analysis of the peculiar language and actions of the liturgy. The book follows in the path of the important guidance of Paul Holmer who long ago observed that:

“Knowing God, then, is a matter of coming to know him [God] in prayer, worship, praise, and much else that makes up the religious life. Theology . . . is not a substitute for worship; and it certainly is not a lofty and sophisticated way to acknowledge God in contrast to the vulgar modes of belief and submissive respect,” (Paul Holmer, The Grammar of Faith [New York: Harper & Row, 1978], p. 203.)

While Holmer’s legacy and contributions go unacknowledged in the book, I nevertheless applaud the project’s attempt to advance critical insights of the first-order nature of theological claim that is addressed, enacted, and embodied in the liturgy itself. To that end, the inclusion of related hymn texts at the close of each chapter is a wonderful addition and serves as a primary demonstration of the task of this kind of work of theological analysis, assessment, and correlation.

The author’s task of correlating a particular theological doctrine with a precise liturgical movement is perhaps the most provocative and difficult to grasp. The authors readily acknowledge a kind of arbitrary nature to the assignment itself and note that the juxtapositions are not limited to the topic at hand but are inexhaustible. Nevertheless while it is helpful and interesting to note the correlation of Creeds and Prayers with Ecclesiology or Eucharist with Eschatology, it seems that other juxtapositions would have been equally fruitful. And while baptism is discussed in the essay on Confession and Assurance, its historical and liturgical role marking the entrance to the church suggests that a chapter on Baptism and Ecclesiology would have been a helpful choice.

In a sense, though, the open nature of this alignment and conversation becomes one of the strengths of the work. When it is used as a conversation starter to reflect upon the theological claims of movements within the liturgy, then it serves a helpful role in fostering dialogue and inquiry. The collection of essays is at its best when it brings together diverse theological voices as conversation partners, such as in the essay by David Stubbs on the “Ending of Worship » Ethics” where insights from Karl Barth, John Howard Yoder, and Alexander Schmeeman are brought into dialogue. This brief rich section in the book illuminates the discussion of ethical structures of the liturgy by pointing to a diverse cloud of theological witnesses. Earlier essays in the collection run into trouble when the theological voices and perspectives seem to presuppose only one particular option.

Over all this is a helpful book that can serve as a good conversation starter for worship committees or Adult Sunday School classes. It provides basic insight into liturgical patterns and movements and brings them into dialogue with central theological themes. It is my hope that this brief beginning might be a launching pad for a fuller, deeper, and richer exploration of the inherent relationship between theology and worship.

Paul Galbreath
Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship
Union-PSCE
Richmond, Virginia

PUBLISHED IN THE BULLETIN OF THE INSTITUTE FOR REFORMED THEOLOGY, SPRING 2006, VOL. 6, #1.