Worship Beyond Nationalism: Practicing the Reign of God

Description: The church in the United States faces a dilemma: How is it possible for Christs followers to worship faithfully in a nationalistic environment where religion and politics enjoy a vigorous affiliation while the separation of church and state is celebrated as the standard for the relationship between nation and faith? When nationalism propagates itself through a cross-pollination of the stories symbols and celebrations of the nation-state and religious groups the stage is set for a national history bearing the character of sanctified legend. Such resulting civil religious activity is likely to create dissonance for Christs followers between what they understand to be biblically faithful and what nationalistic practices may endorse as religiously valid. Worship Beyond Nationalism explores faithful worship as a political act by which Christians declare their allegiance to God in Christ rather than to worldly empires enabling congregations to enact the reality of Gods kingdom and embody the gospel for the glory of God and for the sake of the world. Endorsements: Rob Hewell has given the church a jewel in Worship Beyond Nationalism. The book shows its author adept at addressing a central focus of Christian worship namely practicing the reign of God. The work stirs appropriate considerations as to how the church worships in context. It is as convicting as it is informative; as cautionary as it is motivating; alarming while at once emboldening faith. --Paul Clark Jr. Worship & Music Ministries Director for the Tennessee Baptist Convention Author of Tune My Heart to Sing Thy Grace By means of this clear retelling of the sad story of the Christendom-bing down of the Church Rob Hewell wants to repoliticize worshipers . . . This is a crucial story to repeat and a brilliant understanding of the result of worship. Thus this is a must book for every worship leader--and for every Christ-follower. --Marva Dawn Founder of Christians Equipped for Ministry (C.E.M.) Author of How Shall We Worship? and A Royal Waste of Time About the Contributor(s): Rob Hewell is Director of the Worship Studies Program and Associate Professor at Ouachita Baptist University. He is also a Resident Fellow at B. H. Carroll Theological Institute.