Factors Influencing Worship Through the Years, Research Paper Example

Background of Course Discussions

Religion is a distinct element in the society that defines the condition by which people specifically respond to the call for having a distinct faith that they ought to trust. It is assumed that somehow, the birth of religion could be tracked down from the very beginning of time when human civilization has started to develop. Relatively, the desire to follow the lead of someone more superior to them, humans needed something to hold on to, something to depend upon especially when it comes to understanding some matters that are considered to be beyond explanation.

The years of imperialism in history specifically made it possible for religious faiths to be passed on from one region to another. Considerably, such process of passing on is a distinct indication of evangelism. The construct procedures by which several religious groups intend to become specifically influential among other groups thus hoping to get their interest into becoming a member of the religious affiliation that they are intending to share. Basing from the readings that were used during the lectures in the course, it could be analyzed how the distinct process of developing the value of religion in relation to human living and civilization have come to existence especially when it comes to redefining the path of progress that several generations have taken into account in connection to aspects of faith and belief. The factors to be discussed herein are some of the matters that are noted to have a great influence on how religion and worship took different phases of development through the years.

Implications of the Reading-Themes

Changes in Culture

Religion and culture are two factors that are intertwined together especially in relation to how humans develop into progressive states understanding the way they live and accepting explanations that aim to define their overall knowledge about life and the moral standards that they are supposed to accept. In the United States, religion started out to be just an element that suffices the need of the people to depend on someone more superior to them; someone who can control matters and practically explains the unexplainable. Later on though, as new cultures come into existence with the American regions, it has become evident how the amalgamation of culture also resulted to the amalgamation of different beliefs from different religions.

True, some religious affiliations spurred out from their base beliefs because of particular researches. Nevertheless, such research approaches may not have been existent without the occurrence of doubt which was specifically given birth due to the realization of issues of the church based on the religious situations and teachings of other groups coming from other regions. Along with valid and acceptable religious beliefs, the instantiation of the existence of pagan groups have also become evident to have embraced the American community for some time.

Considerably, the condition by which the creation of a new society has become a common trend among diversity-stricken regions n the country became a sign of supposed social development. Religion becomes an institution of human choice. People developed the chance to choose what they want to believe in, they are now given more liberty when it comes to deciding what particular aspect of belief they would like to accept and what specific matters of the doctrine they may not want to follow accordingly. Most likely, such approach made religion more attractive to many groups. Later on, belonging to a religious group became more of a statement than a need. With human philosophies and other scientific explanations coming out to define life’s most asked questions, there are instances when people chose not to belong to any group that may limit them from the ideal ways they may want to live their lives with; while they may not have anything against religion or the teachings that these groups would like to impose, most of these individuals rather live life freely than to live within the constricts of particular rules and policies that religious groups often impose among their members.

Music

Music is considered as the life of any religious occasion. Churches around the United States all have their own interpretation regarding the real role of music in worship. While there are some who may view music to be a vain presentation of human desire for happiness and satisfaction, majority of the religious groups in the country consider it as a form of praise. Music is a form of human expression, and such value for the said art has been adapted by several religious groups as a form of expressing their love for God and their passion for what they believe in.

With such tool for self expression, music is understood to be among the most unifying factors that religions have towards each other. With the music industry specifically becoming one of the highest earning industries in the country, it could not be denied that the production of religious music continues to create a distinct definition on how the modern society views music as a generally unifying element that puts religions together as they follow the same tune of definite distinctions on how they define faith in God and how such aspect of belief should lead them in their lives. Most religious songs produced in the music industry discuss general aspects of belief in God and living within his principles thus making the said pieces of arrangements easily relative to all members of the society no matter what religious affiliation they may be included in.

Technology and Media

Evangelization has become more evidently convenient for many religious groups to consider especially with the existence of modern technology. It could be considered that somehow, communication and information sharing has become more effective with the existence of these tools. Media is a strong source of power for several religious groups who chose to reach their target audience through television and radio broadcasting. It is like as if some religious leaders have made being a member of their organizations rather more convenient for interested parties as they are not anymore forced to go into the churches for meetings and masses; instead, the church goes to their home for their convenience through their television sets, their computers and their radios. Considerably, some religious critics see this as a matter of hypocrisy, as if catering to the demands of the people rather than making the people change their lifestyle to prove that they are sincere about their way of worshipping their God and proving their faith towards the beliefs that they choose to be involved in. Amidst such criticisms though, it could be analyzed that the utilization of technology and media has become rampant that it is already considered as a common scene among several religious groups around the globe at present.

Worship Presentation

Campaigning of a particular religious group to get the attention of interested parties and members have taken several phases through the years. Preaching and teaching from door to door as first modeled by the Christ has been followed accordingly by some groups while some others choose to define the process of evangelization on their own way of understanding. Considerably, as noted in the previous discussion, there are those who would choose convenience over effort as they believe that worshiping God should be based on free will; it should be based on however a person wants to express his praise and sincerity in believing in a superior being. Hence, the culture of gaining the interest of the people to join within a particular group of religion has become a source of difference among several affiliations thus challenging the capacity of the people to choose which of these groups they would actually believe to be doing the real-will of God.

Conclusion

Through the readings utilized within the course , it has been made clear that religious groups have become specifically evidently affective on how societies are shaped and how people’s being and characteristics are being established. Relatively, the way humans respond to the current culture of religious groups define whether or not they are to accept the being of a supreme persona who is existing to guide and protect them. Most likely, such consideration over such belief though is already losing its luster, with people depending much more on human philosophy and scientific explanations, a large number of human population rather choose to live their lives free from the supposed ‘bondage’ of religion. In this case, expanding the process of evangelization ought to be given attention to. Bringing back the minds and the hearts of the people into a moral path that is lead under God’s sovereignty could be won if the behavior and the outlook of humans could be adjusted accordingly.

References:

Bird, Warren, Ed Stetzer, and Elmer Towns.11 Innovations in the Local Church. Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 2007.

Kimball, Dan. Emerging Worship:Creating Worship Gatherings for New Generations, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2004.

McNeal, Reggie. Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church. Somerset, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2003.

Pinson, J. Matthew. Perspectives on Worship: Five Views. Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman, 2009.

Redman, Robb. The Great Worship Awakening. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2002.

McGrath, Alistair. 1998. Historical Theology: An Introduction to the History of Christian Thought. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers. pp. 1–8.

Daniel L. Migliore, Faith Seeking Understanding: An Introduction to Christian Theology 2nd ed.(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2004).

Michael S. Kogan, ‘Toward a Jewish Theology of Christianity’. The Journal of Ecumenical Studies 32.1 (Winter 1995), 89–106.

Burrell, David. Freedom and Creation in Three Traditions (Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1994)

Spong, John Shelby. Why Christianity Must Change or Die (New York: Harper Collins, 2001)