The Theater of God's Glory

Calvin, Creation, and the Liturgical Arts

W. David O. Taylor

• Publisher: Eerdmans
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9780802874481
• eBook ISBN: 9781467447911
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Rituals & Practice

A theological framework for the liturgical arts rooted in John Calvin Both detractors and supporters of John Calvin have deemed him an enemy of the physical body, a pessimist toward creation, and a negative influence on the liturgical arts. But, says W. David O. Taylor, that only tells half of the story. Taylor examines Calvin's trinitarian theology as it intersects his doctrine of the physical creation in order to argue for a positive theological account of the liturgical arts. He does so believing that Calvin's theology can serve, perhaps surprisingly, as a rich resource for understanding the theological purposes of the arts in corporate worship. Drawing on Calvin's Institutes, biblical commentaries, sermons, catechisms, treatises, and worship orders, this book represents one of the most thorough investigations available of John Calvin's theology of the physical creation—and the promising possibilities it opens up for the formative role of the arts in worship.

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Foreword, by John D. Witvliet
• Acknowledgments
• Abbreviations
• Introduction
• 1. Musical Instruments in Calvin
• 2. The Work of the Material Creation
• 3. The Work of the Material Symbols of Worship
• 4. The Twin Problem of Materiality and Mediation
• 5. The Double Movement of Creation in Worship
• 6. Calvin’s Theology of the Physical Body
• 7. A Trinitarian Theology of the Physical Body
• 8. The “Simple” Worship of God
• 9. The Trinitarian Space of Worship
• Conclusion
• Select Bibliography
• Index