Congregation as Theologian

Gordon Lathrop, in his book Holy Things: A Liturgical Theology (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1993, p. 4-7), describes two kinds of theology associated with the liturgy, liturgy being the activities of the people in worship — the rites, the ritual, the words, the music, the symbols, the gestures and actions. He describes primary theology as the actual practice or the doing of worship by the people, and secondary theology as the thinking about, reflecting on, discussion of, and writing about that actual worship experience. Those who engage in primary or secondary theology are theologians.

When a congregation sings the opening hymn, the people are theologians engaged in primary liturgical theology. When the choir members discuss the opening hymn, or the organist’s accompaniment of it, or the people’s singing of it as they are changing out of their robes following worship, they are theologians engaged in secondary liturgical theology. The hymnal, when used to study hymns in a Sunday School or seminary hymnology class, is a secondary theological instrument. But open, and in the hands of the singer during the opening hymn, it is a tool for doing primary theology. Both types of liturgical theology are important to the continuing vitality of worship, as well as the people’s experience and understanding of worship.

Which is more important in shaping the people’s experience of God — primary or secondary theology? In other words, which is more important in forming our faith, doing worship or reflecting on it? Lathrop (and many others of us) would contend that it is engagement in primary liturgical theology (that is, participating actively in worship) that forms and transforms us as a people of God. It is our communion with God in worship that makes us the spiritual beings that we are, both as individuals and as congregations and denominations.

How is congregational singing an act of primary liturgical theology? How does it form us? There are numerous ways. We learn theological concepts and fundamentals of the faith through the words. The actual hymns, as well as our singing of them, connect us to and pass on our heritage and tradition of worship practice. Hymns can connect and define the generations. Hymn singing is a means of emotional expression – from joy to lament. Singing joins a group of individuals together in a common purpose and experience. At times of great distress or great joy, when we are unable to speak words — to one another, to God, or simply to express what we feel internally — hymns give us the means to do so through words and music. Singing hymns preserves the memory of and allows us to again experience significant past events, relationships, and associations by helping us to remember them. And, in the middle of all of these activities, there is God, calling to us, speaking to us, listening to us, forming us, and strengthening us as disciples.

What about Lathrop's secondary liturgical theology? It is what often follows or precedes worship and primary theology. It is what we do when we think or write about, evaluate, or reflect on worship. Writing or reading this article might be an act of secondary theology, as would the Monday morning church staff meeting discussing the previous day's services, or a Sunday school class studying the hymns of Charles Wesley. Secondary theology leads us to improving and revising our worship practices and understanding worship. It leads us into new worship experiences that may deepen our primary theology. Secondary theology may enable us to make worship a more significant influence in our lives outside the church building — in our family relationships, in our jobs, in our leisure, in our study and learning. Secondary theology can move us to regard liturgy as life and life as liturgy.

I believe most secondary liturgical theology is done by pastors, musicians, worship planners and leaders. Unless there is an opportunity specifically targeted for the people to engage in secondary theology, such as a Sunday school class, a college course, reading a book, or an Advent or Lenten study series, it probably doesn't happen very much. My guess is that most pastors consider their sermons to be acts of primary theology. But I believe sermons are actually an opportunity for the people to engage in secondary theology, in most cases. Indeed, the sermon may be the most frequent opportunity afforded the people for secondary theology; for many, perhaps, their only opportunity.

I further believe that most secondary theology by pastors, musicians, and worship specialists is pretty shallow and uninformed. It usually considers what went well, what didn’t go so well, and a cursory consideration of why. Secondary theology ought to be engaged in within a context that embraces Scripture, theology, history and tradition, human experience, culture, and demographics. It should be done as individual leaders and as a group. And we must — we must — engage the people in secondary theology. We must teach them and lead them, but we must also listen to them and their own reflections on worship. We must provide the opportunities for them to be secondary liturgical theologians, and we must learn from them.

See also by Gordon Lathrop:

• Holy Things: A Liturgical Theology (Fortress 1993)
• Holy People: A Liturgical Ecclesiology (Fortress, 1999)
• Holy Ground: A Liturgical Cosmology (Fortress, 2003)
• Central Things: Worship in Word and Sacrament (Augsburg Fortress, 2005)