Exploring Worship

How we worship determines what we believe. Prosper of Acquitane, a disciple of Augustine, once wrote ""ut legem credendi lex statuat supplicandi,"" the law of prayer determines the law of belief. This is significant for it expresses that how we pray determines what we believe.

Exploring Worship engages in a comparative study of Catholic, Evangelical, and Orthodox teachings on corporate worship and suggests classic practices that help deepen the understanding and experience of worship. This is significant in at least four ways. Theologically, it contributes to the important and continuing trialogue among Catholics, Evangelicals, and Orthodox. Historically, it highlights the integrative potential between these three groups, contrary to its history of distrust and outright animosity. Spiritually, many Christians are seeking a deeper devotional expression. Exploring Worship provides an examination of worship rooted in the rich history and traditions of the Church. Pedagogically, this will suggest practices that help deepen the understanding and experience of worship.

Exploring Worship invites us to more critically, intentionally, and sympathetically reflect on the ways we worship and its place in our churches.


[Designer... please just use first 2 of these 5 endorsements. CA]

""All Christians worship God, but they do so in mystifyingly different ways, in a variety of languages, liturgies, theologies, ecclesiologies, and pieties. By examining the worship patterns of Catholic, Evangelical, and Orthodox communities of faith, this comparative study helps us to see the unity that marks the universal Body of Christ scattered throughout time as well as space. It also allows us to consider with candor the distinctive traits of these major faith families and the numerous demarcations within each. A welcome addition to the growing literature on worship!""
--Timothy George
Founding Dean
Beeson Divinity School

""As interest in liturgical forms of worship continues to grow in Christian circles, the need for accessible and reliable guides to this territory is urgent. Arzola's book is just such a resource. It provides a clear introduction to Catholic, Evangelical, and Orthodox perspectives on worship and encourages mutual respect between them. It also offers practical advice to those seeking deeper devotional expression. This is a timely and helpful book that deserves a wide readership""
--Justyn Terry
Dean, President and Associate Professor of Systematic Theology, Trinity School for Ministry.

""Arzola writes from his educational perspective a basic comparative study of the worship streams of Catholic, Evangelical, and Orthodox Christian traditions. He insightfully advocates for the recovery of essential worship practices that hold the potential for educational integration with lectionary based catechesis. Following Robert Webber's work, he seeks to revive a sense of wonder and mystery in worship for which many hunger today.""
--Robert W. Pazmino
Valeria Stone Professor of Christian Education
Andover Newton Theological School

""Arzola's book represents a primer on worship from four perspectives: Catholic, Orthodox, Evangelical, and what he calls a 'Historically Orthodox Evangelical' perspective. Sketching each with broad strokes, it performs a useful service in arguing for a recovery of the Church's traditional lex orandi, or order of worship, while incorporating insights from each tradition.""
--Thomas P. Rausch
T. Marie Chilton Professor of Catholic Theology
Loyola Marymount University

""Not only has Fernando Arzola shown that there is much that Evangelicals could learn from worship traditions other th