Worship and the Lament Open Access

Abstract

Many interpreters of the Bible have chosen to tone down the reality of the ever-green-like presence of trauma in the human experience. Hence, worship practices focus mainly on the possibility of a good outcome without acknowledgement and treatment of the many-nuanced hardships of life. This study aims to encourage the worshipping community—both laity and clergy—to re-examine its worship structure and to learn again to appreciate the value of lament in worship as a tool of liberation and healing. In addition, it aims to shape an understanding of an appropriate relationship between worship and lament to mitigate human suffering by recasting lament as worship through a contextual reading of Psalm 137 and the book of Ruth.

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About this Dissertation

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School	Candler School of Theology
Department	Ministry
Degree	DMin
Submission	Dissertation
Language	English
Research Field	Theology
Keyword	Christian formation Book of Ruth ministry worship Caribbean diaspora Babylon Spiritual practices church and grieving trauma lament Psalm 137 African diaspora Bible United Methodist Church theology contextual preaching Gleaning worship and lament grief church hermeneutic of suspicion
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Jennifer Ayres, Emory University
Committee Members	Joel Kemp, Emory University

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