Most ecumenical work on worship has been greatly influenced by
those traditions which use written liturgical texts and who give a
normative place to the Eucharist. Here Free Church worship however
is studied on its own terms allowing its ecumenical contribution to
be fully appreciaed. Using a study of Baptist worship, Gathering
explores the spirituality implicit in a worship tradition which to
dated has received little theological or historical attention.
"What makes this book refreshing is that Ellis] is not a prisoner
to the view that the job of the liturgical movement is really to
formalize "free" worship in some way, and introduce a weekly
eucharist.(...)Ellis's source-use, together with his sensitivity to
context, architecture and hymnody included, provides a rich picture
of an evolving tradition, with its own theological emphases and its
own way of doing the liturgy.(...)He is to be congratulated not
only on the account he has given of a story that many of us have
only known in shreds and snatches, but in the ambitious way in
which he has provided a truly ecumenical underpinning." Kenneth
Stevenson, Anglican bishop of Portsmouth, England, The Ecumenical
Review. April 2005. "There is no doubt that Ellis has done us a
service in providing us with a magisterial study of Free Church
worship that will probably become a standard work for some time to
come. The production of the book is exemplary. The bibliography is
extensive and impressive, and the notes (...) are also full. It is
pleasing that there are separate indices for names and subjects and
for biblical references.(...) I do warmly commend this book to
readers of Ministry Today. Philip Clements-Jewery, Ministry Today,
Summer 2005. "This stimulating, well-documented study will
doubtless capture the attention of liturgical scholars in various
traditions, but it especially merits careful reading by Baptists
and others in the Free Church tradition who would like to gain new
insight into their own gathering. Although focused on English
Baptists, it contains critical insights for Baptists everywhere."
Glenn Hinson, Baptist Theological Seminary, Richmond, Virginia,
Worship July 2005. "This is a signifiacnt study of Free Church
Worship, combining detailed historical analysis with rich
theological reflection. (...)Chris Ellis'scholarly yet accessible
book is essential reading." Ian Randall, Spurgeon's College,
London, The Expository Times, vol 117, n 3. Dec.2005 "This is an
excellent study, combining historical detail bith current
theological reflection." Bryan Spinks, Institute of Sacred Music,
New Haven, Ecclesiastical History, Vol.57/2, April 2006. "Ellis is
a fine scholar whose rigorous and often groundbreaking work
deserves careful attention. (...) The benefit of being the first to
do scholarly work in an area is in knowing that your work will spur
on further work. In this respect Ellis has laid out a solid and
sizable foundation for further work to be built upon. His
historical work in particular is worthy of much study and
expansion. (...) Ellis has made a significant contribution to both
the free church tradition and to liturgical theology. In my own
teaching, his book was the cornerstone for our conversation in a
recent doctoral seminar in liturgical theology, and excerpts of his
work have been helpful introductory pieces in master's level
courses. Ellis work deserves a wide and frequent reading, but even
more deserves a lively idscussion and thoughtful scholarly
reflection." Todd Johnson, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena,
CA, Doxology 2006.
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