Church and MinistryWorship

W501. Public Worship

Fall and Spring. Credit, three hours. (Abbington, E. Phillips)

Introduction to the history, theology, and practice of Christian worship, including the Sunday gathering, sacraments, wedding, funerals, and daily prayer offices. (Introductory Arts of Ministry)

W502. United Methodist Worship

Credit, three hours. (E. Phillips)

Introduction to the history, theology, and practice of worship in the United Methodist tradition, including the Sunday gathering, weddings, funerals, and daily prayer offices. (Introductory Arts of Ministry)

W503. Global Perspectives in Christian Worship

Credit, three hours. (Abbington)

This course will examine worship from various cultural perspectives, how they are similar, how they differ, and how they can effectively enhance, enliven, and enrich each other. The scope of this course is nothing short of the worship practices of the world’s two billion Christians. The course focuses on worship as a public ritual event, an assembly usually conceived as an occasion for a kind of divine-human gift of sung and spoken prayers, scriptural preaching, and sacraments and other ceremonies. Special attention will also be given to intergenerational worship and the hip-hop generation.

W603. Liturgy, Spirituality, and Community Formation

Credit, three hours. (Faculty)

This course uses social semiotics and other critical theories in order to analyze the way that communities are formed through their liturgical practices. Through classroom liturgical experimentation and reflection as well as readings from historical and contemporary sources, the participants in this class will develop tools for analyzing and promoting community formation. This course is particularly suited to students who are engaged in 12–15 hours per week of parochial and community ministry.

W622, W623, W624, W625, and W626. Practica in Liturgical Leadership

Credit, one hour each. (Faculty)

These classes provide understanding of and practical experience in designing/planning and leading the most frequent services of public worship as well as important occasional services and congregational music. The available modules include: W622. Services of Word and Baptism, W623. Eucharist, W624. Weddings, Funerals, and Services of Confirmation, W625. Liturgical Calendar and Occasional Services. and W626. Hymnody and Church Music for EASP Students.

W627. Theology of Church and Sacraments

Credit, three hours. (Faculty) (Same as ST627.)

Biblical and theological understandings of the church, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper are discussed. Attention is given also to other traditional sacraments and to ecumenism.

W628. Liturgical Theology

Credit, three hours. (Alonso) (Same as ST628.)

This course introduces students to central texts and themes in theological reflection on Christian worship as they have coalesced into the field of liturgical theology. Through historical, theological, biblical, practical, and pastoral approaches, we will explore the ritual, symbolic, aesthetic, cultural, kinesthetic, and textual dimensions of worship and consider how they both shape and express Christian thought and practice.

W632. Contemporary Christian Worship: Origins, Theory, Practice

Credit, three hours. (E. Phillips)

This course examines the development of patterns and practices of worship in the contemporary western churches; the effects of technology, consumerism, individualism, globalism, the loss of cultural grand narratives, and entertainment on worship; the ramifications of cultural accommodation and resistance in liturgical practice.

W638. Planning Christian Worship

Credit, three hours. (Abbington)

This course explores the historical, theological, pastoral, and practical dimensions of planning for services of Christian worship including styles and patterns of congregational worship, organizing and encouraging laity in planning worship, development and critique of resources for planning and practice, and understanding ecclesial contexts.

W642, W643, W644, W646, W648. Practica in Worship

Credit, one hour each. (Faculty)

Students may take one, two, or all three one-credit modules. Each module lasts four weeks, with meetings twice a week. The modules include W642. Writing Liturgical Texts, W643. Ash Wednesday to Pentecost, W644. Advent to Epiphany, W646. Finding Voice (New Hymns by Women Writers).

W669. The History and Theology of Eucharistic Worship

Credit, three hours. (Faculty) (Same as HC669.)

A liturgical and theological study of the origins and evolution of the Eucharist and related practices. The subject is covered in terms of the major cultural, philosophical, and historical movements which formed the background of this evolution. (Historical Studies) (W669CEE when offered as a Contextual Education elective)

W698. Special Topics in Worship

Credit, variable. (Faculty)

Special topic or one-time offering courses led by Candler regular and visiting faculty. Prerequisites may be required and are noted on the course schedule when applicable.