Evangelical Worship: An American Mosaic with Dr. Melanie Ross

Theology on Tap Chattanooga

"Evangelical Worship: An American Mosaic" with Dr. Melanie Ross

6:30 - Lecture Begins

1:04:30 - Q & A

In partnership with UTC - Department of Philosophy & Religion

Evangelicalism has undergone seismic and controversial shifts in worship over the last forty years, particularly in the areas of preaching and music. In this talk, liturgical scholar Melanie Ross shares stories from her ethnographic research of congregations, discusses trends and shifts she has observed, and offers insights about what churches can learn from each other across lines of differences. She suggests that evangelical worship is more than a manipulative effort to arouse devotional exhilaration. It is a vibrant site of identity formation: the place where evangelicals’ ideas, beliefs, and commitments interact with larger religious traditions in an ongoing, mutually-constituting process.

Professor Melanie Ross works at the intersection of ecumenical liturgical theology, North American evangelicalism, and the worship practices of contemporary congregations. Her first book, Evangelical vs. Liturgical? Defying a Dichotomy (2014) brings together historical analysis, systematic theology, and congregational fieldwork to argue that the common ground shared by evangelical and liturgical churches is much more important than the differences than divide them. Her second book, Evangelical Worship: An American Mosaic (2021) draws on extensive fieldwork in seven congregations to show how evangelical identity is formed through corporate worship practices.