Pinson Book Critique
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Pinson Book Critique
Ardelia J. Butts
WRSP 540: Current Issues in Worship
August 17, 2023
1
Author Information
Dr. J. Matthew Pinson is a native of Pensacola, Florida and presently serves as the
President of Welch College in Gallatin, TN. Dr. Pinson has previously served as the President of
the Free Will Baptist Bible College in Nashville, TN. Dr. Pinson earned his bachelor’s degree in
Humanities from the University of West Florida. Dr. Pinson holds a master’s degree from Yale
University and a Doctorate from the prestigious Vanderbilt University. Dr. Pinson’s ministry has
led him to lead congregations in several States, including Alabama, Connecticut, and Georgia. He
has authored several books in addition to this one, including
Four Views on Eternal Security
,
A
Free Will Baptist Handbook
,
Classical Arminianism
,
Arminian and Baptist
,
Gender, Sexuality,
and the Church
, and
The Apologetics of Leroy Forlines
.
Content Summary
A greater understanding of Christian worship is broadened by the perspectives that have
emerged over time. Times and traditions have changed, but the true essence of worship itself has
not. Dr. Pinson invites the reader to investigate five profound viewpoints in an effort to reveal the
inner thoughts on Christian worship. Much detail and respect are given to the contributors that Dr.
Pinson has invited to share in his study of Christian worship as a whole. Understanding the
historical contexts of each of the worship perspectives allows the reader to come to terms with the
changes that have come about over the years.
1
The changes in Christian worship came along with
other changes in the political and social eras in history. When the legal systems in place changed in
various parts of the world, so did the manner in which worship to God was offered.
2
This text
1
J. Matthew Pinson,
Perspectives on Christian Worship
, (Nashville, TN:
B&H Publishing, 2009), 1.
2 Ibid, 8.
2
covers five of the most prominent perspectives on Christian worship and how each shaped the
ways in Christian worship has changed over time.
Pastor Timothy Quill makes his case about the importance of Liturgical worship in the
Christian community. Quill contends that liturgy is not dictated by people’s personal taste, but it
is the articulation of a Church’s doctrine.
3
Quill contends further that the differences between
law worship and gospel worship is what makes the liturgy so important. Quill attempts to
persuade the reader to accept that worship is given to God for the gifts that He bestows on
humanity. Quill states several times that worship is the expression of God’s grace to His people
rather than their gift to . . While Quill continues to defend the importance of liturgy, he admits
that some of the tenets of liturgy are unimportant because the Scriptures do not command them
to be done. These practices are also not forbidden, so some liturgical practices are matters of
choice. Churches make the decisions on liturgy that suits them, and they move accordingly.
4
Quill senses that liturgy is more of a historical thing than a Biblical aspect of worship, but his
feelings on the matter seem to be conflicted. He makes a great case for liturgy, but in the end,
liturgical worship itself is left up to the Churches and congregations alike. In his response to
Quill, Duncan asserts that there is a spirit of complacency that can come over worshippers where
liturgy is concerned, and it lessens the authenticity of their worship.
5
When the worship offered
to God becomes second nature to the Christian, going through the motions separates the believer
from God’s presence. Quill, in his stance, fails to address this fact.
Duncan’s chapter on traditional worship begins with a definition of worship because Duncan
asserts that most of the confusion starts there. While offering his views on what worship is and is
3 Ibid, 19.
4 Ibid, 20.
5 Ibid, 83.
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3
not, Duncan points out that the traditions of the past have caused worship experiences to become
more common across the different denominations.
6
Duncan states that worship is declaring that
God is most important in our lives and that we hold nothing to be more important than Him.
7
Traditional worship changes the focus from the order of service to how God is worshipped so
that there is an easier communion between God and the human soul.
While liturgy is the written
order of worship, its composition should only serve to make the worship experience greater for
the worshipper. Duncan’s stance that worship should be driven by traditions rather than culture
are evident in this chapter. He believes that churches that move based on the culture of the
congregation are missing the essence of worship and its purposes. Quill agrees with Duncan on
several points and even admits that he shares Duncan’s disdain for contemporary, blended
worships because he believes that they shift the focus from God and theological principles.
8
Wilt’s response to Duncan is quite different because he cautions the reader not to get so steeped
in tradition that he loses sight of his responsibility to move the world through innovation.
The
overall consensus is that worship can be rooted in tradition but there has to be room for growth if
the modern world is going to be impacted by the worship within the Church.
Dan Wilt’s commentary on contemporary worship definitely opens the mind to the idea that
the methods of worship must adapt to the times in which we live. While his thoughts are
sometimes in stark contrast to Duncan’s beliefs, he avoids the philosophical conflicts that could
be raised. Wilt seems to understand connecting with the culture of the people enhances their
worship experience more than anything else. Wilt explains that worship is the primary tool used
to offer discipleship to believers, so it must be up to date.
9
Contemporary worship has evolved
6 Ibid, 100.
7 Ibid, 101.
8 Ibid, 124.
9 Ibid, 144.
4
over time and changed with the different social and religious movements so that people remain
steadfast in their devotion to God. Wilt contends that effective worship encompasses history and
the modern needs of the people all at once. Wilt’s focus on culture and contemporary worship is
supported by the other contributors, but a couple of concerns were raised. Lawrence and Dever,
while mostly agreeing with Wilt, contend that being pragmatic, doing what works for everybody,
cannot be the basis for contemporary worship and the only authentication has to be geared
towards God.
10
The fact that Dever and Lawrence wrote the chapter on blended worship is quite surprising
given their thoughts in the previous chapter. However, they do an excellent job of explaining
how combining different elements into the worship experience leads to a greater love and
understanding of God. The often-forgotten aspect of worship is that worship is about God, not
what is done and how it is done. Sincere worship in any form that edifies and glorifies God is
useful and acceptable.
11
They build their case further by explaining that worship that is driven by
the Holy Spirit and in full acknowledgment of Jesus is all that is required. How the different
elements are mixed is trivial in any other case. Kimball refutes some of the claims about blended
worship because he felt that communication, whether explicit or not, is important when it comes
to worship. The things that are done during worship experiences are just as important as the
things that may or may not be said.
12
Because people learn differently, Kimball contends that
style, while dismissed by Dever and Lawrence, is important to the worship experience. The
worshippers have to be able to understand and connect to what they are experiencing before they
can ever approach God in worship.
10 Ibid, 214.
11 Ibid, 228.
12 Ibid, 284.
5
Kimball addresses the emerging church culture, and it is clear that he loves the Lord and the
art of worship. Kimball defends the modern church that has adapted to the new things of life and
used those elements to craft their worship. Kimball states that emerging worship combines the
culture of the times with the expressions of love and adoration to God.
13
Kimball expresses his
thoughts about what should be the guidelines for worship on pages 297-298 and feels that as long
as those guides are followed, the worship is acceptable. Kimball seems to believe that culture
and present trends should drive the changes in worship, but he finds some opponents in that
approach. Not surprisingly, Dever and Lawrence express concerns about the effect that culture
has on the church and its worship practices. Dever and Lawrence do agree that culture serves as
an agent of change for the church, but they caution the reader to consider how they respond to
those pressures. While culture does play a vital role, Dever and Lawrence contend that the most
important agent of reform and change must be the Scriptures. Changing or reforming worship for
any other reason would be unwise.
14
Evaluation
Pinson’s book is very enlightening and gives the perspectives on worship in a way that
any readers can understand. The text suggests many things that can be used in the study and
understanding of worship; there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to worship. The worship
must be pure, authentic, and the focus of the worship has always got to be God. This book proves
that worshippers can agree to disagree on many points when it comes to worship as long as the
methods are based on Scriptures. While each contributor backs up his beliefs with Scripture, the
arguments and counterclaims do the very same. Pinson’s purpose here is to expose the reader to
different ideas about worship and how it should be done in the church. He offers so many
13 Ibid, 297.
14 Ibid, 351.
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6
different reflections on the topic and gives the reader something to think about. One of the
biggest commandments from God is that He be praised, and that worship is offered up to Him, so
understanding the “how” and “why” is essential to fruitful worship.
The text does a wonderful job covering the basics of worship, but if there is one negative
aspect, I believe that the contributors delve too deeply into their own thoughts. Each of them
went to great lengths to state their cases, but when it came time to refute claims, each seemed to
shy away from disproving one another. While that may not have been the goal of the text, I
believe that each one would have been more convincing if they had explained in their responses
why they felt they were right. A student of worship would definitely benefit from reading this
text because it will allow them to develop a sense of self when considering worship. Worship
leaders and pastors who base most of their ministries on worship should definitely read the text.
As I read it, I identified with some of the points that were made and gained some new insight on
the foundations of worship. This text serves to broaden the horizons a bit and allow those who
truly desire to worship God to be able to do so as He commanded—in spirit and in truth.
7
Bibliography
Pinson, J. Matthew.
Perspectives on Christian Worship
. Nashville, TN:
B&H Publishing Group,
2009.