Introduction
Describing, analyzing, and critically reviewing the book written by James H. S. Steven called “Worship in the Spirit: Charismatic Worship in the Church of England”, it would be relevant to state that this labor-consuming and scrupulously written literary work should be taken into consideration while creating any plans or, for example, being a leader of Christian worship, as it describes in detail the impact and the influence of the Charismatic movement on the course of public worship in the entire Church of England.
Thesis proposal
Following this, it is necessary to provide these proposals for the subject of the discussion. Those theses might be listed as follows: the identification of reflective practice in the sphere of worship leading; the interrelationship of the already mentioned worship to doctrine, concerning such religious fields of it as “atonement”, “pneumatology” and “Christology” (Steven, 2002); the nature and the history of the church; the relationship of such issues as Eucharist and baptism to the abrogated canons of the church and the modern world as a whole; the history and the methods of the Christian worship’s elaboration. Another issue that should be recovered is the opinion of different scholars on this topic, on this book, and the author of this book.
Descriptive discussion, critical review, and analysis
With the regard to the above written and tracing the issue of the concern, it is important to note that the “Worship in the Spirit: Charismatic Worship in the Church of England”’ can be regarded as a concordant and intellectual study and evaluation of Charismatic worship. This book is the first serious major study of this issue within the context of England Church’s parishes. While examining and studying the history and the methods of the Christian worship’s elaboration and the historical evolution of the Charismatic movement in the Christian Church of England, this literary work analyzes and researches the issue of the public worship of six Anglican parish case study churches.
Graham Kings, the theological secretary of the Fulcrum organization and the successful vicar of St Mary’s Church in London, refers to the book in question in his critical article “Canal, River and Rapids: Contemporary Evangelicalism in the Church of England”. The scholar refers to Steven, identifying Charismatic Evangelicals (described and evaluated in Steven’s literary work) as “Rapids” in his “Watercourses” (Kings, September 2003, pp. 181 -182).
It might be stated that “Worship in the Spirit: Charismatic Worship in the Church of England” illustrates two major aspects: the public worship in six Anglican parish churches and it discusses analyzes and focuses on the various “churchmanship and worship” styles (Steven, 2002). Such patterns and religious models as the liturgical order, prayer ministry, and the congregational singing, as well as a wide variety of worship canons such as cultural influences, leadership, and music, serve as a central concern of the given literary work.
If to refer to Kelvin Randall’s “Evangelicals Etcetera”, sixty-two percent of Pro-charismatic prefer to use the new (widely recognized) International version of the Bible for their Bible Study. With the regard to this, Randall writes: “It is interesting that in Steven’s (2002) book, “Worship in the Spirit: Charismatic Worship in the Church of England” neither “bible” nor “pew” appears in the index” (Randall, 2005, p.206).
This book also covers and represents a theological evaluation of the observations made in the six Anglican churches. The author of the book – James H. S. Steven skillfully and masterly describes and analyzes figures of church and music leaders, congregation members as well as independent observers, taking into consideration those people’s views, beliefs, work, and personal experiences.
Conforming to this, the concluding section of Steven’s “Worship in the Spirit: Charismatic Worship in the Church of England” suggests a theological appraisal, investigates and analyzes worship of Charismatic movement from a Trinitarian perspective.
In his book “Reformation and Modern Rituals and Theologies of Baptism” Bryan D. Spinks concludes about this: “Likewise the extremely perceptive work of James Steven, “Worship in the Spirit”, stresses the social character of ritual; his brilliant reflection on Trinitarian theology in Charismatic worship is based on the tied study, as is Christian Scharen’s study of congregational worship a commitment” (Spinks, 2006, p.1). It is possible to conclude from this, that Steven’s fundamental ideas are widespread, recognized, and supported by other credible scholars.
The viewpoint of Sydney’s archbishop, Peter Jensen, about worship, church leaders, and congregation members, established by him on “St Helen’s Bishopsgate”, is similar to Steven’s point of view suggested in his book: “Some older leaders still encourage a return to the Book of Common Prayer, as being the way to safeguard reformation legacy, but this suggestion seems to have little impact on most younger leaders’ congregations. In them, liturgy is often used very lightly” (Jensen, 2003, video).
It might be suggested to regard one of the six Anglican churches from Steven’s case study in detail with the view to understand better the author’s message to the reader. The author uses the Charismatic Evangelicals as a part of six Anglican parish churches case study. It would be relevant to cite his analysis and view on the given religious tradition: “The development of the Charismatic Movement has led to aspects of Pentecostal spirituality, albeit in adapted form, influencing many parts of the Church of England. Large, successful charismatic parishes have developed, bishops and others in leadership have been baptized in the Spirit…” (Steven, 2002, p. 36).
As a result of such development, the number of service agencies and religious conferences has increased. The author attributes such successes to the phenomenon when the religious tradition died and then revived in new habits (look). Following such a revival, the notion “charismatic” has become generally and widely recognized as a new- accepted churchmanship label. This assumption might be proved by the statement given in Steven’s “Worship in the Spirit: Charismatic Worship in the Church of England”: “It seems that the desire of the original pioneers for the new movement of the Spirit to be spread throughout the church has, to a degree, been realized in the Church of England” (Steven, 2002, p. 36).
Analyzing the author’s ideas provided in his major literary work, one can suggest that Charismatic Evangelicals generally follow a conservative doctrine of the Holy Writ. The given religious tradition does not necessarily insist on such graces of the human being as infallibility and inerrancy. This tradition also believes in the significance of today’s receiving of the Lord’s using the prophecies, which have to be tested by the Holy Writ. Charismatic Evangelicals believe that the Spirit opens the truth of the Lord in the Holy Writ to them with a focal point on listening.
Summarizing Steven’s basic ideas about Charismatic Evangelicals provided in his credible and skilled book “Worship in the Spirit: Charismatic Worship in the Church of England”, this religious tradition might be represented in the division by such criteria as the commitment and the openness to different social groups.
Charismatic Evangelicals’ tradition is committed to the following issues and ideas: the indisputable authority and credibility of the Bible; the interpretation of the Bible in the context of Spiritual listening; mission in the authority of the Spirit, concerning the encounter of “signs and wonders” (Steven, 2002); the practice of Spiritual gifts in their church.
This religious tradition is opened to sharing meetings and conferences, various celebrations with the adjacent denominations, including such denomination as Roman Catholics; the ministry of women in various levels of leadership; the media’s advantages with the view to present themselves to the public; the various Pentecostal and other Charismatic movements all over the world. Charismatic Evangelicals’ tradition is concerned about the significance of the congregational side of being church and of the creative, alternate worship’s studies and explorations.
Conclusion
As a conclusion, it is important to outline, that in his book, “Worship in the Spirit: Charismatic Worship in the Church of England”, Steven cites words of Jesus that represent one of the highest values of the church: “May they all be one as you and I, Father are one” (Steven, 2002, cited from John 17).
With the help of this quote, the author brings the following message to the reader: “Yet divisions occur from the highest levels of the church to street level projects often neutralizing effectiveness and undercutting the credibility of Jesus’ message” (Steven, 2002, p 197). This book is indeed significant as it enables one, who truly believes, for example, a ministry leader, to turn Jesus’ ideas written in “John 17” into reality. The given book overthrows some stereotypes; it represents an equitable overview of Charismatic churches and of those people who are related to them.
Works Cited
Jensen, Peter. The point about the Book of Common Prayer Carlisle (video). St Helen’s Bishopsgate. 2003.
Kings, Graham. Canal, River and Rapids: Contemporary Evangelicalism in the Church of England. Anvil Journal. Vol. 20 No 3, 2003, pp. 167-184.
Randall, Kelvin. Evangelicals Etcetera: Conflict and Conviction in the Church of England’s Parties. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd, 2005.
Spinks, Bryan, D. Reformation and Modern Rituals and Theologies of Baptism: From Luther to Contemporary Practices.. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd, 2006.
Steven, James, H. S. Worship in the Spirit: Charismatic Worship in the Church of England. Carlisle: Paternoster Press, 2002.