# Best Theological Books on Worship



## Coram Deo (Apr 6, 2008)

*Regulative Principle of Worship*

Worship in the Presence of God
Gospel Worship by Jeremiah Burroughs
With Reverence and Awe by D.G. Hart

*Dialogical Principle of Worship*

Worship in the Presence of God
The Beauty of Reformed Liturgy by VanDooren
With Reverence and Awe by D.G. Hart


*Best Books for each major element in great details*

*Prayer*

Gospel Incense by Thomas Cobbet
Method of Prayer by Matthew Henry

*Psalms*

Songs of Zion by Michael Bushell

- Musical Instruments

Old Light on New Worship By John Price
Musical Instruments by John L. Girardeau

*Eucharist*

Given For You: Reclaiming Calvin's Doctrine of the Lord's Supper by Mathison
The Mystical Presence by John Nevin

*Preaching*

The Art of Prophesying by William Perkins

*Baptism*

Baptism: a Joyful Sign by D. Marion Clark
Christian Baptism by John Murray

*Spiritual Elements of Worship*

Gospel Fear by Jeremiah Burroughs
Gospel Worship by Jeremiah Burroughs

*Reading and Hearing the Word of God*

Worship in the Presence of God Section

*Occasion Elements of Thanksgiving/Fasting/Oaths*

Worship in the Presence of God Section


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## Casey (Apr 6, 2008)

*I don't claim that any of these are the "best," but here are some additions:*

I found _O Come, Let Us Worship_ by Robert G. Rayburn helpful in making theological and Scriptural connections and in giving practical suggestions.

From a historical perspective, I found _Corporate Worship in the Reformed Tradition_ by James Hastings Nichols and _Worship: Reformed according to Scripture_ by Hughes Oliphant Old to be instructive. A study of the reformation of worship by the Reformers will obviously shed some light on the theological reasons for the changes.

I, too, particularly liked _With Reverence and Awe_.


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## Pilgrim (Apr 6, 2008)

What about Terry Johnson's _Reformed Worship: Worship that is According to Scripture_? I haven't read it but have heard good things about it.


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## danmpem (Apr 6, 2008)

Which of the above do you think are the most practical? I don't usually use that word, but I'm short on time.


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## KMK (Apr 6, 2008)

danmpem said:


> Which of the above do you think are the most practical? I don't usually use that word, but I'm short on time.



"How God Wants Us To Worship Him" by Joseph Morecraft III


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## Reformed Covenanter (Apr 6, 2008)

For preaching see Stuart Olyott's _Preaching: Pure and Simple_.


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## Presbyterian Deacon (Apr 6, 2008)

Didn't somebody named Daniel Ritchie write something about worship once? I think I heard it was pretty good!


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## Reformed Covenanter (Apr 6, 2008)

Presbyterian Deacon said:


> Didn't somebody named Daniel Ritchie write something about worship once? I think I heard it was pretty good!



That is true. I cannot possibly comment upon its quality (Prov. 27:2).


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## Coram Deo (Apr 6, 2008)

Worship in the Presence of God by Lachman

But truthfully I have trouble just recommending ONLY 1... Everybody should have the the list above and hard to to do without...




danmpem said:


> Which of the above do you think are the most practical? I don't usually use that word, but I'm short on time.


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## Coram Deo (Apr 6, 2008)

You mean that crazy guy....... 

I heard that all those Northern Irelander were crazy..  They don't even speak right... Pants are outer garments not underwear... 





Presbyterian Deacon said:


> Didn't somebody named Daniel Ritchie write something about worship once? I think I heard it was pretty good!


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## Coram Deo (Apr 6, 2008)

Sorry Daniel that your book was not on the list.. The reason was I have not read it yet and so could not testify to how good it is... Of course with so many books on my list and so little money to buy and since I already have so many worship books as it is I feel like might be only able to afford and buy your Biblical Civil Government Book that I so want to read.....

Of course, I think I was told you spoke against headcoverings in your worship book, so it is already anathema in my books...  

Michael






Daniel Ritchie said:


> Presbyterian Deacon said:
> 
> 
> > Didn't somebody named Daniel Ritchie write something about worship once? I think I heard it was pretty good!
> ...


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## Arch2k (Apr 6, 2008)

Reforming Mother Kirk by D.G. Hart
The Worship of the English Puritans by Horton Davies
Prayer by John Bunyan
Thoughts on Family Worship by JW Alexander

to add to the list...


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## MICWARFIELD (Apr 6, 2008)

I'm currently reading "Unceasing Worship" by Harold Best. Pretty good so far.


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## Reformed Covenanter (Apr 7, 2008)

Keep in mind though, that I concede _your_ view of headcoverings in the only credible one (apart from my own position).




Coram Deo said:


> Sorry Daniel that your book was not on the list.. The reason was I have not read it yet and so could not testify to how good it is... Of course with so many books on my list and so little money to buy and since I already have so many worship books as it is I feel like might be only able to afford and buy your Biblical Civil Government Book that I so want to read.....
> 
> Of course, I think I was told you spoke against headcoverings in your worship book, so it is already anathema in my books...
> 
> ...


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## Reformed Covenanter (Apr 7, 2008)

Coram Deo said:


> You mean that crazy guy.......
> 
> I heard that all those Northern Irelander were crazy..  They don't even speak right... Pants are outer garments not underwear...
> 
> ...



Yes, Northern Irelanders generally are crazy....but not as crazy as people who call trousers "pants" and football "soccer".


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## toddpedlar (Apr 7, 2008)

MICWARFIELD said:


> I'm currently reading "Unceasing Worship" by Harold Best. Pretty good so far.



Yeah, I guess that'd be the Best book on worship, wouldn't it?


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Apr 7, 2008)

toddpedlar said:


> MICWARFIELD said:
> 
> 
> > I'm currently reading "Unceasing Worship" by Harold Best. Pretty good so far.
> ...



 Well, here are some of my favorites on worship (I've left out a number of books on the Lord's Day, the Lord's Supper, baptism and a few other areas of worship, because my list was just getting too long):

Jeremaiah Burrough, _Gospel Worship_ 
Archibald Hall, _Gospel Worship_ 
William Ames, _A Fresh Suit Against Human Ceremonies in God’s Worship_ 
Frank Smith and David Lachman, _Worship in the Presence of God_ 
Alexander Blaikie, _Catechism on Praise_ 
William Young, _The Puritan Regulative Principle of Worship_ 
G.I. Williamson, _The Regulative Principle of Worship_ 
Brian Schwertley, _Are Liturgies Authorized by Scripture?_ 
Malcolm Watts and David Silversides, _The Worship of God_
Michael Bushell, _The Songs of Zion_
John McNaugher, _The Psalms in Worship_
_The True Psalmody_
Thomas Ford, _Singing of Psalms: The Duty of Christians Under the New Testament_
John Keddie, _Sing the Lord’s Songs: Biblical Psalms in Worship_
Brian Schwertley, _A Brief Examination of Exclusive Psalmody_ 
James Dick, _Hymns and Hymnbooks_ 
G.I. Williamson, _The Singing of Psalms in the Worship of God_ 
John Price, _Old Light on New Worship_
John L. Girardeau, _Instrumental Music in the Public Worship of the Church_ 
Robert Nevin, _Instrumental Music in the Christian Worship_
_Select Works of James Begg on Worship_
Brian Schwertley, _Musical Instruments in the Public Worship of God_ 
Oliver Heywood, _The Family Altar_
George Hamond, _The Case for Family Worship_
J.W. Alexander, _Thoughts on Family Worship_
Daniel Cawdrey, _Family Reformation Promoted_
Kerry Ptacek, _Family Worship: Biblical Basis, Historical Reality, Current Need_
Brian Schwertley, _The Regulative Principle of Worship and Christmas_ 
George Gillespie, _English Popish Ceremonies_ 
David Calderwood, _Perth Assembly_
Thomas Cobbet, _Gospel Incense, or A Practical Treatise on Prayer_
Horton Davies, _The Worship of the English Puritans_
Richard Steele, _A Remedy for Wandering Thoughts in the Worship of God_
John Knox, _True and False Worship_
Matthew Henry, _A Method for Prayer_
David Clarkson, _Public Worship to be Preferred Before Private_

Links and Downloads Manager - Worship - The PuritanBoard


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## ChristianTrader (Apr 13, 2008)

Does anyone know anything about this symposium work?

The Biblical Doctrine of Worship: A Symposium


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## NaphtaliPress (Apr 13, 2008)

ChristianTrader said:


> Does anyone know anything about this symposium work?
> 
> The Biblical Doctrine of Worship: A Symposium



It received the following notice in “The Regulative Principle Of Worship: Sixty Years In Reformed Literature. Part One (1946-1999),” in _The Confessional Presbyterian_ 2 (2006) 107-108. Apologies for the formating dropping out in the cut and paste.



> The Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA), a denomination often referred to by its nickname (“Covenanters”), has been in existence since the eighteenth century. Despite some challenges to its worship views, particularly in the twentieth century, it has always maintained a cappella exclusive psalmody. However, the church as a whole has not always understood why it continued to hold to that traditional Presbyterian position.56
> In 1973, the RPCNA undertook a symposium on the doctrine of worship. The various essays were gathered in a book in January 1974, entitled, The Biblical Doctrine of Worship: A Symposium to state and clarify the Scriptural teachings concerning worship with emphasis on the use of the Biblical Psalms in Christian Worship.57 Several of the essays dealt directly with the regulative principle of worship.
> The opening essay was by Dr. John H. White, who would later serve as President of Geneva College, the denominational school in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania.58 One of his conclusions is that “Worship (service) ‘latreia’ must be seen in both its narrow sense (cultic institutions, etc.) and in its broad sense (all of life is a service before the Lord)” (Robson, 11).
> The notion that worship can be thought of as encompassing all of life (even with a distinction between worship in a broad sense and in narrow sense) can lead to the perspective that the regulative principle applies to all of life. This is indeed the view taken by Professor Norman Shepherd, then a professor at Westminster Theological Seminary and minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Referring to Deuteronomy 12:32 (“Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor taken away from it”), Mr. Shepherd claims: “This principle applies to the whole scope of our obedience to God. We may properly speak of it as the regulative principle for human life.”59
> ...


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