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Book Review: The Worship Mall by Bryan D. Spinks

Bryan D. Spinks, The Worship Mall: Contemporary responses to contemporary culture (SPCK, 2010), 242pp (with thanks to SPCK for a review copy)

In this book Bryan Spinks (a leading theologian on worship and liturgy) offers a survey of the current diverse worship scene, particularly how different groups are responding to the current cultural landscape. He describes worship from alternative to Roman Catholic post-Vactican II, from charismatic praise and worship to Celtic, from blended to seeker-sensitive.The books title refers to those vast cathedrals for shopping found in the US (the UK equivalents I imagine are similar but probably smaller in comparison). Spinks suggests that worship is something we now 'shop' for along with everything else.

Spinks has done his research well and gives a good sense of what you might discover if you visited or experienced these different worship styles. The strength of the book is its overview of the diversity of worship, sometimes we only know what we experience from week to week; Spinks broadens horizons to see what others are up to. The weakness of the book is Spinks offers a generally descriptive book, that fails to be equally as critical. I had hoped that Spinks would provide some valuable insights into strengths and weaknesses of the different types of worship he describes. This is sorely needed, especially from theologians and liturgists of Spinks calibre. So perhaps a sequel might be in order. For now it is good to Spinks beginning to engage with contemporary worship.

(A little aside, Spinks obviously didn't enjoy his trip to St. Aldates, Oxford. He has a second comment [his first can be found in a chapter he wrote for Christian Worship Worldwide) on the worship has having no sense of progression the day he visited).

Ordination

I was ordained on Sunday. A fantastic evening, made all the more special to share with so many who have travelled with me on the way to this day. Now begins ministry in Southend at Belle Vue Baptist Church. I have few weeks of preparation and settling in, before the hard work begins. Looking forward to all that God brings to the church here.

Book Review: Baptists Through the Centuries by David Bebbington

David W. Bebbington, Baptists Through the Centuries: A History of a Global People (Baylor, 2010), 315pp.

Do we need another history of Baptist people? Absolutely if its written by someone of the stature of David Bebbington and also when our historical consciousness is perhaps not what it used to be. This is the first Baptist history written by British Baptist in a number of years and is to be commended for its succinct and readable version of the Baptist story. It has an Anglo-American emphasis, but this is perhaps to be expected with its American audience in mind (it began life as lectures given at Truett Seminary, Baylor University) and the fact it is only one volume. The book can be seen in two parts. The first six chapters tell the story of the development of Baptists through its first four hundred years. The remaining nine chapters explore different issues - Baptists and the social gospel, race, women (on which Bebbington says more research especially needs to be done in providing in understanding and telling this part of the story), ministry and sacraments, religious liberty, foreign mission, global spread and Baptist identity.

For British readers the immediate strength is Bebbington helpfully engages with the developments of American baptists, which to this reader, can often seem quite confusing. There is no other history like it perhaps apart from Bill Leonard's Baptist Ways: A History (Judson Press, 2003), which has more space devote to the story of Baptists globally, but doesn't pick up the issues in as much detail as Bebbington. For those who have to do their Baptist history and priniciples paper this is an excellent place to start. I would recommend this, alongwith Nigel Wright's Free Church, Free State (Paternoster, 2005), also to church members and other interested non-Baptists,as the best introduction to the story, the identity and vision of Baptist believers.