BOOK REVIEW:
Worship: Reformed According to Scripture. By Hughes Oliphant Old. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002. 195 pp. ISBN: 0664225799.

It has been nearly two decades since the publication of Hughes Oliphant Old’s classic book Worship in the John Knox Press series “Guides to the Reformed Tradition.”  During those two decades, we have witnessed a resurgence of interest in both the roots of the Reformed faith and the liturgical practices that shape and define those who adhere to that faith.  It is appropriate then that Old’s work should reappear in a revised and expanded edition as we ponder the relevance of the Reformed tradition and, specifically, its contributions to Christian worship in the twenty-first century.  

Old’s revised book is organized in exactly the same manner as the original work, with chapters addressing different dimensions of the liturgy including baptism, the Lord’s Supper, the Lord’s Day, the ministries of praise, prayer, and the word, daily prayer, and alms.  Each chapter recounts at length the biblical and historical origins of the liturgical practice under discussion, demonstrating Old’s contention that one cannot simply enter liturgical life in the sixteenth or seventeenth century to understand Reformed worship.  Rather, he maintains, the roots of Reformed worship are to be found “in scripture and in the life of the early church.”  The inclusion of a vast number of scriptural references throughout the book confirms the first characteristic of Reformed worship identified by Old: that “it is worship that is ‘according to Scripture’” (p. 3).  Indeed, Old argues at the conclusion of the book, the primary reason the liturgical traditions of the Reformed faith continue to commend themselves to us today is “because they are, above all, according to Scripture” (p. 172).  In addition to his careful attention to the scriptural roots of the Reformed tradition, Old notes the contributions of the many scholars and church leaders who, through the centuries of Christianity, have shaped the Reformed faith.  His extensive references to theologians and leaders of the church throughout its history make clear the direct lineage between the historic witness of the church and the faith we profess today.  

Worship is an invaluable resource for pastors, teachers, and students of the Reformed tradition as well as anyone interested in the roots of that tradition and its contributions to Christian faith and practice.  Old’s remarkable knowledge of Scripture and church history make this book worth reading for general knowledge not only of the Reformed tradition but of Christian tradition in general.  One of the few criticisms of the book is its lack of specific citations.  Old’s work is packed with wonderful information but includes only a handful of endnotes, leaving the reader wanting specific references for the wealth of information in the text.  A “Select Bibliography for the Study of Reformed Worship” helps make up for the lack of notes.  It includes historical works as well as many books written over the past twenty years.  Unlike the bibliography included in the previous edition, however, this one is not divided according to time periods.  

Old concludes his book with an acknowledgment of the present interest among American Protestant churches in the renewal of worship, noting the quest for programs and liturgical styles that will attract people to church.  He poses the question, “How can we possibly minister to those who thirst for the real thing?” (p. 176) and, in answering it, warns against the temptation to yield to worship practices that are devoid of biblical and historical roots and thus diminish the value of the Reformed tradition.  As a result, this is not the book for those seeking quick liturgical “fixes” for churches in decline or congregations engaged in “worship wars.”  This is, however, the book for those who desire a clear understanding of the biblical, historical, and ecclesiastical traditions from which our present practices emerged.  Only such knowledge of the past can enable us to make informed and faithful decisions about the future of Reformed worship.

Beverly A. Zink-Sawyer
Associate Professor of Preaching and Worship
Union Theological Seminary and the Presbyterian School of Christian Education

PUBLISHED IN THE BULLETIN OF THE INSTITUTE FOR REFORMED THEOLOGY, WINTER 2004, VOL. 4, #1.