In some way, all of theology is practical—it applies to the individual and congregational lives of believers, and the pastor has a key role to play in applying good theology in so many ways. It is also true that, in some way, all theology is historical. The Word of God was shared at specific times and places in history, and the people of the Church have heard it, used it, and passed it on down through the centuries. All historical theology is, therefore, practical in some way. You are never the very first person to handle a doctrine or to run into practical issues applying it. Historical theology is uniquely situated to help us learn from those who deeply studied and wrestled with theology and its application in the past. While we may, at times, learn what not to do from those who have gone before us, we will also want to actively seek out and listen to the voices of our brothers in Christ, who once shared in our common task of being public ministers of the Gospel, but now are in eternal rest. Worshiping with the Reformers has the potential to help pastors: deepen their understanding of our Church’s worship heritage, understand what contemporary practices (or “innovations”) come from poor theological backgrounds, and challenge themselves to deepen their understanding of the biblical and historical theology of worship.
This book, while historical in nature, does not do what typical Luther/Reformation histories do—that is, focus on complex philosophical and theological developments which are framed by a few turning-point events on a timeline and pinned to a handful of key individuals. Undoubtedly, these works have important values and purposes. However, Maag offers something different—an overview and analysis of how the sixteenth-century churches of the Reformation dealt with practical functions of worship ranging from church attendance, preaching, prayer, and baptism and communion practices, to the visual arts in the worship space.
Maag addresses many interesting questions such as: What does Lutheran theology on worship attendance look like when the civil authorities are given the responsibility of overseeing it out of regard for the greater good of the community? What do you do when the townspeople are leading their animals through the sanctuary as a shortcut to the market during worship? What is the appropriate posture for prayer? Should pastors preach according to a lectionary or be able to preach on whatever they would like? How did many baptismal sponsors actively take responsibility for the spiritual care of the baptized in the sixteenth century, regardless of the denomination?
Each chapter is helpfully laid out with headings and begins with a few historical vignettes, where relevant quotes from the primary sources draw the reader’s attention to a specific worship scenario or issue. For me, history is most enjoyable when it is an immersive experience. Frequently, Maag’s historical scenarios engaged my imagination in illuminative ways. Following the vignette, Maag gives a brief, digestible outline of the contentious doctrines, practical problems, and solutions proposed by various voices, which Maag lays out for the reader. She is often careful to include the Medieval Catholic context first and then share various Protestant viewpoints. The Reformed/Calvinist and Lutheran voices are featured most prominently, alongside a mixture of Zwinglian, Anabaptist, and Anglican perspectives. While it is not surprising that Maag (the director of Calvin Studies at Calvin University) gives the Reformed perspective the most space in her book, she is generous and fair in her presentation of Luther and other Lutherans. The various viewpoints presented will help pastors understand the theological foundations of divergent worship practices encountered in our communities and country. Each chapter ends with a concise conclusion and a list of suggested books to read for further study.
It will perhaps surprise some Lutheran pastors when they first identify a disconnect between the Church of our Fathers in the past and their assumptions about worship practices today. An instinctive reaction might be to automatically reject these differences as wrong, outmoded, or irrelevant. Differences may be explained away at every chance by suggesting a different context. A few may be drawn to repristinating our practices to whatever our theological forebearers did. However, a tempered reaction involves more deeply understanding historical contexts and recognizing the demand upon us that compels us to rise to the challenge of plunging into the depths of theological understanding. Our forefathers often had excellent theological and practical reasons for doing what they did. Let us have the humility to learn from them. On the other hand, not everything ever done in the past can be unquestionably recommended. For example, Maag shares an episode where overzealous Lutheran city officials decreed that all 10,000 inhabitants (of mixed denominations) receive communion all at once in one massive service for the good of the community (141).
The use of varied voices from primary sources is one of the most compelling strengths of this book. It comes as no surprise to those who are familiar with the publisher’s line of academic commentaries. IVP offers both a Church Fathers and a Reformation bible commentary series—where, like a standard commentary, a book of the Bible is broken down into sections and analyzed by verse. However, in these series, only voices of the past are heard without annotation or interruption. One can read not only well-known Lutheran theologians such as Luther, Melancthon, Brenz, or even Bugenhagen but also others such as Erasmus Sacerius, Georg Major, and Johannes Wigand. These commentaries make available these additional voices in translation, which would otherwise likely remain unheard and unknown by most Lutheran commentary readers. For those seeking Lutheran (and perhaps other) perspectives on a biblical text, the commentary series is rather helpful. Maag’s book is promoted as a supplement to the Reformation series. She goes beyond the series’ use of biblical commentaries and taps into catechisms, homiletical manuals, and more obscure sources to bring the reader into the world of Reformation worship.
Still, both this book and the related broader series should be approached with some cautionary guidelines kept in mind for “safe” reading. It is a strength of these kinds of books to quickly summarize perspectives while simultaneously drawing directly from the primary historical documents. This makes for easy reading that also begins to add some real depth and flavor to the reader’s concept of the historical contexts and persons. However, every quote is selected by a historian or editor. What remains unknown to the casual reader is the original author’s context and that of his document, as well as the selective process of the historian or editor. Why were some quotes selected but not others? Why were these obscure voices brought to the forefront? Did anybody ever listen to them? Are there others left still behind? Do these handfuls of historical anecdotes and theological perspectives begin to give a full overview from which we can make general conclusions, or did the author or editor manage to bring an outlier into a place that significantly shapes our concept of the general narrative? For example, as noted by Maag herself, a quote from Luther on prayer early in his ministry may contrast with his later views (88-89). Simply selecting one quote may give the reader an incomplete or even wrong impression. Nonetheless, Maag’s work is sufficiently guarded from personal biases and blind spots by her ample referrals to academic scholarship covering areas outside of her particular focus.
Maag seeks to strike the balance between depth and breadth in content (as well as maintaining easy reading flow) and does remarkably well. The thoughtful reader, with these notes in mind, can judiciously profit from this book. Worshiping with the Reformers and its accompanying commentary series bring forth deep theological thoughts from a variety of voices that can serve as a starting point for further study for those seeking to make firm historical conclusions. Perhaps most of all, pastors will readily recognize the valuable lessons from history on balancing the proclamation of pure doctrine with applying loving pastoral care.
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