Recapturing an Enchanted World - (Dynamics of Christian Worship) by John D Rempel (Paperback)

About the Book

While the Free Churches rightly sought to cleanse the church of the abuses of sacramentalism, in that process they also set aside some of the church's historic practices and theology. In response to this liturgically thin space, Mennonite theologian and minister John D. Rempel considers the role of the sacraments and ritual within the Free Church tradition, helping us perceive the sacramental nature of our faith and worship.

Book Synopsis

How might our worship recapture and reflect the enchanted world of God's nearness in Jesus Christ?

In this first volume in IVP Academic's Dynamics of Christian Worship series, John D. Rempel offers a vision for this kind of transformative worship. A theologian and minister in the Mennonite Church, Rempel considers the role of the sacraments and ritual within the Free Church tradition. While the Free Churches rightly sought to cleanse the church of the abuses of sacramentalism, in that process they also set aside some of the church's historic practices and the theology behind them, which ultimately impoverished their worship.

In response to this liturgically thin space, Rempel appeals to the incarnation of Christ, whose taking on of flesh can help us perceive the sacramental nature of our faith and worship. By embracing life-giving and peacemaking practices, the worship of not only the Free Church tradition but of the whole body of Christ might be transformed and become enchanted once again.

The Dynamics of Christian Worship series draws from a wide range of worshiping contexts and denominational backgrounds to unpack the many dynamics of Christian worship--including prayer, reading the Bible, preaching, baptism, the Lord's Supper, music, visual art, architecture, and more--to deepen both the theology and practice of Christian worship for the life of the church.

Review Quotes

"Christians within the Free Church tradition will find Rempel's historical, theological, and practical analysis a worthwhile study."

--Publishers Weekly, November 11, 2019

"The incarnation of our Lord is a minor doctrine for many, but John Rempel recounts its significance for worship, doctrine, and practice. Recapturing an Enchanted World orients us historically within time and place, but only to remind us spiritually of our transcendent end. This gentle and pious scholar wants us to see the full spiritual reality of our incarnate Lord Jesus through word and sacrament--wisdom calls us to hear him."

--Malcolm B. Yarnell III, author of God the Trinity and The Formation of Christian Doctrine

"Though this book will be valuable to worship planners and leaders of all traditions, Recapturing an Enchanted World is an especially rich resource for liturgically lean traditions. Offering astute guidance through the thickets of sacramental history and theology, this book illuminates what was lost by dissenters and Free Churches in the Reformation and invites rediscovery of 'the bounty of a sacramental universe.' What makes the book stand apart is Rempel's gift for felicitous language, well-considered examples, and abiding passion for wholehearted worship embodied in word and deed--a true treasure for all who care about worship."

--Marlene Kropf, professor emerita in spiritual formation and worship, Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Indiana

About the Author

John D. Rempel (ThD, Toronto School of Theology) is senior fellow at the Toronto Mennonite Theological Centre at the Toronto School of Theology. He is the author of The Lord's Supper in Anabaptism, the editor of Joerg Maler'sKunstbuch: Writings of the Pilgram Marpeck Circle, and the coeditor of The Fragmentation of the Church and Its Unity in Peacemaking.