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234 pages

English

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An Important Study on the Worship of the Early ChurchThis introduction to the origins of Christian worship illuminates the importance of ancient liturgical patterns for contemporary Christian practice. Andrew McGowan takes a fresh approach to understanding how Christians came to worship in the distinctive forms still familiar today. Deftly and expertly processing the bewildering complexity of the ancient sources into lucid, fluent exposition, he sets aside common misperceptions to explore the roots of Christian ritual practices--including the Eucharist, baptism, communal prayer, preaching, Scripture reading, and music--in their earliest recoverable settings. Now in paper.

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Philosophie et théologie

Christian worship

History of religions

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Publié par	Baker Publishing Group
Date de parution	30 septembre 2014
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781441246318
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	2 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0864€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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© 2014 by Andrew B. McGowan
Published by Baker Academic
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www . bakeracademic . com
Ebook edition created 2014
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means for example, electronic, photocopy, recording without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4412-4631-8
Unless indicated otherwise, Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations labeled KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.
Unless indicated otherwise, translations of other ancient texts are those of the author.
For Brian and Cate
Contents
Cover i
Title Page iii
Copyright Page iv
Dedication v
Acknowledgments ix
Abbreviations xi
1. Introduction: The Origins of Christian Worship 1
2. Meal: Banquet and Eucharist 19
3. Word: Reading and Preaching 65
4. Music: Song and Dance 111
5. Initiation: Baptism, Anointing, and Foot Washing 135
6. Prayer: Hours, Ways, and Texts 183
7. Time: Feasts and Fasts 217
Epilogue: The Making of Christian Worship 261
Bibliography 263
Index of Subjects 279
Index of Modern Authors 285
Index of Scripture and Other Ancient Writings 289
Notes 299
Back Cover 305
Acknowledgments
T his book contains original scholarship, but it also synthesizes the work of many other scholars who have done so much over recent decades to advance knowledge of ancient liturgy, meals, ritual, and other aspects of early Christianity. I am honored to have had many of them among my teachers, colleagues, and friends. While I hope dependence on others’ research is properly acknowledged, the intended audience of this volume has necessitated that many notes point to resources in English that will elucidate complex questions, and not necessarily to the whole of a wider body of scholarship.
I particularly thank those who offered various forms of direct advice and assistance, especially Harold Attridge, Paul Bradshaw, Felicity Harley-McGowan, and Alistair Stewart, who each read one or more chapters. James Ernest, a colleague in early Christianity as well as a patient and conscientious editor, also offered important questions and improvements in reading the drafts. I have had important and helpful conversations with Joan Branham, Patout Burns, Jeremy Hultin, Robin Jensen, Clemens Leonhard, Jodi Magness, Hindy Najman, and Gerard Rouwhorst. My colleagues in the Society of Biblical Literature Meals in the Greco-Roman World Group have been stimulating and supportive colleagues over some years; I mention among them, representatively rather than comprehensively, Dennis Smith, Hal Taussig, Angela Standhartinger, and Matthias Kinghardt. My own limits, rather than theirs, are reflected in the results.
Most of this book was written while on a sabbatical from Trinity College, Melbourne, spent at Yale Divinity School. Those who allowed me to leave the one and be welcomed at the other, particularly my Trinity colleagues Campbell Bairstow and Bill Cowan, and again Harold Attridge, who was dean of Yale Divinity School at the time, all have my gratitude.
I offer this to those in whose company I first experienced the distinctive life of the Christian community, my parents.
Abbreviations General ABRL Anchor Bible Reference Library AT author’s translation BCE/CE Before the Common Era/Common Era BCP Book of Common Prayer ca. circa (about, approximately) CCSL Corpus Christianorum: Series latina. Turnhout: 1953–. cf. confer (compare) chap./chaps. chapter/chapters ICC International Critical Commentary KJV King James Version LXX Septuagint NHC Nag Hammadi Codices NRSV New Revised Standard Version NT New Testament OT Old Testament PG Patrologia graeca. Edited by J.-P. Migne. 162 vols. Paris, 1857–86. PO Patrologia orientalis v./vv. verse/verses WUNT Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament Old Testament Gen. Genesis Exod. Exodus Lev. Leviticus Num. Numbers Deut. Deuteronomy Josh. Joshua 1–2 Sam. 1–2 Samuel Ps./Pss. Psalm/Psalms Eccles. Ecclesiastes Isa. Isaiah Jer. Jeremiah Dan. Daniel New Testament Matt. Matthew Rom. Romans 1–2 Cor. 1–2 Corinthians Gal. Galatians Eph. Ephesians Col. Colossians 1 Thess. 1 Thessalonians 1–2 Tim. 1–2 Timothy Heb. Hebrews 1–2 Pet. 1–2 Peter Rev. Revelation Old Testament Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha 4 Macc. 4 Maccabees Let. Aris. Letter of Aristeas Odes Sol. Odes of Solomon Wis. Wisdom of Solomon Dead Sea Scrolls 1QHa Thanksgiving Hymns 1QS/1QSa Rule of the Community/Rule of the Congregation 4QD b Damascus Document b Josephus Ant. Jewish Antiquities War Jewish War Philo Contempl. Life On the Contemplative Life Spec. Laws On the Special Laws Mishnah and Talmud b . Babylonian Talmud m . Mishnah t . Tosefta Ber. Berakot Meg. Megillah Pesa ḥ . Pesa ḥ im Roš Haš. Roš Haššanah Ta ʿ an. Ta ʿ anit Apostolic Fathers Barn. Letter of Barnabas 1–2 Clem. 1–2 Clement Did. Didache Herm. Mand. Shepherd of Hermas , Mandate(s) Herm. Sim. Shepherd of Hermas, Similitude(s) Herm . Vis. Shepherd of Hermas, Vision(s) Ign. Eph . Ignatius, To the Ephesians Ign. Magn . Ignatius, To the Magnesians Ign. Phld . Ignatius, To the Philadelphians Ign. Pol . Ignatius, To Polycarp Ign. Rom . Ignatius, To the Romans Ign. Smyrn . Ignatius, To the Smyrnaeans Mart. Pol. Martyrdom of Polycarp Patristic and Other Early Christian Sources Ambrose Myst. On the Mysteries Ap. Const. Apostolic Constitutions Ap. Trad. Apostolic Tradition (attributed to Hippolytus) Augustine Conf . Confessions Exp. Pss. Expositions on the Psalms Clement of Alexandria Paed. Paedagogus (Christ the Teacher) Strom. Stromateis Ep. Apost . Epistula Apostolorum Eusebius Comm. Ps. Commentary on the Psalms Eccl. Hist. Ecclesiastical History Gr. 1 [First Greek] Life of Pachomius John Chrysostom Hom. on Col. Homilies on the Letter to the Colossians Justin Martyr 1 Apol. 1 Apology Dial. Dialogue with Trypho Mart. Perp. Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicitas Methodius Symp. Symposium Socrates of Constantinople Eccl. Hist . Ecclesiastical History Tertullian Apol. Apology New Testament Apocrypha Acts Thom. Acts of Thomas Frag. Oxy. Fragment Oxyrhynchus Gos. Pet . Gospel of Peter Papyri and Inscriptions CIJ Corpus inscriptionum judaicarum P.Oxy. Oxyrhynchus Papyri P.Ryl. Greek Papyri in the John Rylands Library, Manchester
1 Introduction
The Origins of Christian Worship

C hristian worship the set of communal practices of prayer and ritual characteristic of the followers of Jesus is as fundamental to the church as its doctrine. Yet worship has also been contentious just as long as it has existed. The earliest surviving discussion of a Christian assembly is not a clear description of common order but an exasperated judgment of liturgical failure: “When you come together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat” (1 Cor. 11:20 AT).
Early Christian literature about worship tends to emulate Paul’s ambition, if not his exasperation: much of what has come down to us was written to encourage, critique, and change what Christians were doing, not to describe it. There is nothing quite like a Book of Common Prayer (BCP), Directory of Worship, or a hymnal from the ancient church. A historical picture of ancient Christian worship is thus constructed not only from records of praise, ritual, and prayer but also from witnesses to debate, development, and instruction.
This makes the tasks of the historian and reader more complex, but more interesting too. The history of early Christian worship may not be a serene tour through idealized house churches full of believers “of one heart and soul” (Acts 4:32), as even a very early account nostalgically put it, but a diverse and challenging journey through the history of Christianity itself. For what these Christians confessed and contested when they wrote about “going to church” is not just about what might now be called “worship,” but involved their deepest beliefs and aspirations, and their embodied practice as well as their inner faith. Then as now, worship practices could be problematic and divisive, as well as engaging and inspiring.
The Challenge of “Worship”
Tracing “Worship”
If worship has always been contentious, the modern reader brings a particular unwitting difficulty to ancient Christian practice. Not only is ancient worship different from our own (whichever “our” that might mean), the language we use has shifted, even in quite recent times, sometimes without a corresponding awareness of that change.
This challenge is illustrated by tracing how the English word “worship” has changed drastically in meaning. Today “worship” can often mean communal prayer and ritual, as it will be used for the most part in this book; but for some, “worship” is more like a personal belief or orientation, which is inward in essence, if necessarily expressed in outward and communal forms. 1 In some parts of contemporary Christianity, however, “worship” means a particular genre of music, often used in gatherings (as in the first definition) but intended to express and affirm personal devotion (as in the second). If the last of these definitions is most strikingly specific or even idiosyncratic, all of these uses are actually quite modern; not very long ago, “worship” meant something rather different.
The form for Holy Matrimony in the first English BCP in 1549 included these words at the time of the giving of a ring by groom to bride: “With this ring I thee wed; this gold and silver I thee give; with my body I thee worship; and withal my worldly goods I thee endow.” Although these