History Of Christian Worship: Bibliography for Theology Students

Updated: 06/01/2025

Exploring the History of Christian Liturgy

“Prayer is at the heart of worship. In prayer, through the Holy Spirit, people seek after and are found by the one true God who has been revealed in Jesus Christ. They listen and wait upon God, call God by name, remember God’s gracious acts, and offer themselves to God. Prayer may be spoken, sung, offered in silence, or enacted. Prayer grows out of the centre of the church’s life in response to the Spirit. Prayer is shaped by the Word of God in Scripture and by the life of the community of faith. Prayer results in commitment to join God’s work in the world”. (The Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand)

1. Anton Baumstark, On the Historical Development of the Liturgy, trans. Fritz West (1923; reissue: Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2011).
2. Bernhard Lang, Sacred Games: A History of Christian Worship (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1997).
3. Cheslyn Jones, Geoffrey Wainwright, Edward Yarnold, Paul Bradshaw, eds. The Study of Liturgy, rev. ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 1992).
4. Eric Palazzo, A History of Liturgical Books: From the Beginning to the Thirteenth Century (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1998).
5. Frank C. Senn, Introduction to Christian Liturgy (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2012).
6. Frank Senn, Christian Liturgy: Catholic and Evangelical (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1997).
7. Geoffrey Wainwright & Karen Westerfield-Tucker, eds. The Oxford History of Christian Worship (New York: Oxford University Press, 2005).
8. Herman Wegman, Christian Worship in East and West: A Study Guide to Liturgical History (New York: Pueblo / Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1985).
9. James F. White, A Brief History of Christian Worship (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1993).
10. James F. White, Protestant Worship: Traditions in Transition (Louisville: Westminster John Knox,1993).
11. James F. White, Documents of Christian Worship: Descriptive and Interpretative Sources (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1992).
12. James F. White, Roman Catholic Worship: Trent to Today, 2nd ed. (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press  2003).
13. John Harper, The Forms and Orders of Western Liturgy from the Tenth to the Eighteenth Century: A Historical Introduction for Students and Musicians (New York: Oxford University Press, 1991).
14. Joseph Martos, Doors to the Sacred: A Historical Introduction to Sacraments in the Catholic Church, rev. ed. (Tarrytown, NY: Ligouri / Triumph Books, 2001).
15. Marcel Metzger, History of the Liturgy: The Major Stages (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1997).
16. Keith F. Pecklers, Liturgy: The Illustrated History (New York: Paulist Press, 2012).
17. Martin D. Stringer, A Sociological History of Christian Worship (Cambridge: Cambridge  University Press, 2005).
18. Paul F. Bradshaw, Reconstructing Early Christian Worship (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2011).
19. Paul F. Bradshaw, The Search for the Origins of Christian Worship: Sources and Methods for the Study of Early Liturgy, 2nd ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002).
20. Paul F. Bradshaw, Early Christian Worship: A Basic Introduction to Ideas and Practice, 2nd ed. (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2011).
21. Theodor Klauser, A Short History of the Western Liturgy: An Account & Some Reflections, 2nd ed., trans. John Halliburton (New York: Oxford University Press, 1979).

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