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Worship: Reformed According to Scripture
Hughes Old uses primary sources as a springboard to understanding the theology, tradition, and spiritual roots of modern reformed liturgy. Old provides a fascinating and detailed look at liturgical heritage from the continental Reformers of the sixteenth century and the puritans of the seventeenth century. His impressive work emphasizes the biblical, theological roots of reformed worship.
120 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1982
42 people are currently reading
255 people want to read
About the author
Hughes Oliphant Old
42 books15 followersDr. Hughes Oliphant Old was the John H. Leith Professor of Reformed Theology and Worship at Erskine Theological Seminary and Dean of the Institute for Reformed Worship. He was a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary and studied at the University of Tübingen, the Protestant Theological Faculty of Paris, the Institute Catholique of Paris, and the University of Basel. He completed a D. théol. at the University of Neuchâtel and was appointed a member of the Center of Theological Inquiry in Princeton, New Jersey. His 18 years of pastoral ministry in two churches, combined with meticulous research, has informed his prolific publishing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
February 29, 2024
Pretty interesting book! There were multiple times I thought “OH that’s why we do that…” I enjoyed how different chapters explored different elements of worship. The chapter “The Ministry of Praise” was my favorite!
March 12, 2022
This short historical theology of worship in the Reformed tradition covers several central focuses of Reformed worship practices, covering the relevant biblical data, patristic insight, Reformation practices, and modern contexts. In such a short book, Old has to summarize and condense a lot of liturgical development and theological debate that sometimes risks whitewashing theologians into all being Reformed Presbyterians. However, the book is a great help to those interested in the worship practices of the Reformed tradition and how they sought to be faithful according to the Scriptures and the practices of the ancient church. If nothing else, this provides a great historical survey to wet the appetites for further studies of Reformed and patristic liturgy.
November 15, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book by the great and recently deceased scholar of Reformed liturgy, Hughes Oliphant Old. It is as much a work of history as it is a theology of worship, even if it is a bit lacking in terms of references (the endnotes are few and far between). While there are a couple of areas where I disagree with the author, such as his mild opposition to exclusive psalmody and the non-observance of extra-biblical holy days, this book is a useful source for understanding the richness of the Reformed tradition's heritage of worship - not only in relation to public worship, but also with respect to private and family devotions. And, in fairness, he makes numerous concessions to the Westminster view of psalmody.
Dr Old also reminds us that we cannot just go back to Geneva or the Puritans, but have to be discriminating in what we recover from the past. On the issue of overly long prayers and tediously long sermons and communion exhortations, I believe that the Puritans and early Covenanters tended to err. As my friend Crawford Gribben once pointed out, however, as John Owen matured in his ministry he learned the value of brevity and conciseness. Among the Covenanters, Donald Cargill was criticised for his sermons being too short. I think that it is no accident that Cargill's favourite author was John Calvin, who was a master of the art of brevity. Dr Old does not make these points about Owen and Cargill in his book, but they occurred to me while reading it. And it is a sign of a good book that it stimulates such thinking.
Dr Old also reminds us that we cannot just go back to Geneva or the Puritans, but have to be discriminating in what we recover from the past. On the issue of overly long prayers and tediously long sermons and communion exhortations, I believe that the Puritans and early Covenanters tended to err. As my friend Crawford Gribben once pointed out, however, as John Owen matured in his ministry he learned the value of brevity and conciseness. Among the Covenanters, Donald Cargill was criticised for his sermons being too short. I think that it is no accident that Cargill's favourite author was John Calvin, who was a master of the art of brevity. Dr Old does not make these points about Owen and Cargill in his book, but they occurred to me while reading it. And it is a sign of a good book that it stimulates such thinking.
September 13, 2019
"This program for the renewal of worship in American Protestant churches of today may not be exactly what everyone is looking for. In our evangelistic zeal we are looking for programs that will attract people. We think we have to put honey on the lip of the bitter cup of salvation. It is the story of the wedding of Cana all over again, but with this difference. At the crucial moment when the wine failed, we took matters into our own hands and used those five stone jars to mix up a batch of Kool-Aid instead. It seemed like a good solution in terms of our American culture. Unfortunately, all too soon the guests discovered the fraud. Alas! What are we to do now? How can we possibly minister to those who thirst for the real thing? There is but one thing to do, as Mary, the mother of Jesus, understood so very well. You remember how the story goes. After presenting the problem to Jesus, Mary turned to the servants and said to them, 'Do whatever he tells you' (John 2:5). The servants did just that, and the water was turned to wine, wine rich and mellow beyond anything they had ever tasted before."
October 24, 2020
A very nice survey of worship from a reformed perspective. A very dense book with profound biblical and historical insights into how our worship developed and what worship means, a subject that tends mostly forgotten in our churches today.
Each chapter covers an aspect of worship, and is very rich. I particularly liked the conclusion of the book where Old gives us his practical insight into how we can make sense of this tradition in our evangelical churches.
Each chapter covers an aspect of worship, and is very rich. I particularly liked the conclusion of the book where Old gives us his practical insight into how we can make sense of this tradition in our evangelical churches.
July 6, 2018
This is a very good treatise on worship in Israel and in the early church. I was impressed with how the author traced the historical developments of worship with great clarity. I also liked that he gave fair assessments what the revivalist groups have contributed (good and bad) to worship.
May 25, 2024
Best closing paragraph in a book that I can remember.
July 1, 2024
“Worship: Reformed According to Scripture” by Dr. Hughes Oliphant Old of Princeton Seminary has been a refreshing read on the subject of worship. Presbyterian laymen and clergy alike will benefit greatly from this work.
The volume explores the meaning of worship from Scripture and what it has historically meant and looked like specifically within the context of Reformed Theology. Each chapter begins with an examination from Biblical Theology on that subject and then provides a summary of historical developments from Church history through modern times.
Like the Christian life, the book begins with Baptism. The chapter defends the Reformed position on infant baptism and dives into how Reformed churches practice Baptism as an act of worship, including liturgical practices.
The next chapter is a defense of the Reformed view of the Sabbath. Of all the chapters, this one probably presented the most information I didn’t know. Currently, I take two exceptions to the Westminster Confession, both related to the Sabbath. This chapter almost makes me reconsider my position.
The following three chapters cover the elements of the Sunday worship service: the ministry of praise, the ministry of the word, and the ministry of corporate prayer. These chapters are likely what readers expect when picking up this book. They are packed with useful information, are enjoyable, and profitable.
Next is a wonderful chapter on the Lord's Supper. If you’re familiar with Reformed works, you’ve probably heard Old’s views on the Eucharist itself. However, Old also examines how Reformed people have historically included the Eucharist in their worship and provides examples of historical Reformed Eucharistic liturgies. I can see myself using this chapter quite a bit in writing Eucharistic liturgies myself.
The next two chapters focus on private worship in the Reformed life: private prayer and alms. Both chapters are insightful and offer something missing from modern Reformed academics. However, I would have liked to see discussions on family worship and fasting as worship included in this section as well.
The final chapter examines tradition in Reformed worship.
Editorially, WJK has provided an absolutely atrocious typeface. Although I don’t typically need readers, I considered ordering a magnifying glass due to the small text. However, the paper weight worked for the type of work this was.
Editorially from Old’s perspective, I appreciated that he began his argument with Baptism. If the Christian life truly begins with Baptism, there is no better place to begin. I also enjoyed his selected readings for further thought. My Amazon cart is a couple hundred dollars heavier right now, with works I never even knew I would one day want to read.
Overall, this book was incredibly helpful. I hadn’t considered worship as an academic study before approaching this text. While there are several topics I would have liked included, I understand the constraints of time and scope. One notable omission is the Dutch Reformed tradition. Towards the end, Old briefly mentions Kuyper, but otherwise, his definition of Reformed seems to exclude the Dutch. This might be because the retrieval of Dutch Reformed thought in American Presbyterianism mainly occurred through institutions like Westminster and RTS, which might explain the omission from a classically trained Princeton scholar. Nonetheless, I will revisit this work, and it has earned a permanent place in my reference library.
A brief aside on the copy I read: It was borrowed from a friend who is presently a TE in the PCA but was Baptist in seminary. This was one of his seminary textbooks, and his marginalia showed his serious engagement with Reformed worship while still trying to argue for a Baptistic understanding. This added an enjoyable layer to my reading, as I could see a Baptist’s good faith responses to a Reformed and specifically Presbyterian view of worship. Additionally, it helped me understand my friend better, seeing his initial thoughts as he encountered this work.
The volume explores the meaning of worship from Scripture and what it has historically meant and looked like specifically within the context of Reformed Theology. Each chapter begins with an examination from Biblical Theology on that subject and then provides a summary of historical developments from Church history through modern times.
Like the Christian life, the book begins with Baptism. The chapter defends the Reformed position on infant baptism and dives into how Reformed churches practice Baptism as an act of worship, including liturgical practices.
The next chapter is a defense of the Reformed view of the Sabbath. Of all the chapters, this one probably presented the most information I didn’t know. Currently, I take two exceptions to the Westminster Confession, both related to the Sabbath. This chapter almost makes me reconsider my position.
The following three chapters cover the elements of the Sunday worship service: the ministry of praise, the ministry of the word, and the ministry of corporate prayer. These chapters are likely what readers expect when picking up this book. They are packed with useful information, are enjoyable, and profitable.
Next is a wonderful chapter on the Lord's Supper. If you’re familiar with Reformed works, you’ve probably heard Old’s views on the Eucharist itself. However, Old also examines how Reformed people have historically included the Eucharist in their worship and provides examples of historical Reformed Eucharistic liturgies. I can see myself using this chapter quite a bit in writing Eucharistic liturgies myself.
The next two chapters focus on private worship in the Reformed life: private prayer and alms. Both chapters are insightful and offer something missing from modern Reformed academics. However, I would have liked to see discussions on family worship and fasting as worship included in this section as well.
The final chapter examines tradition in Reformed worship.
Editorially, WJK has provided an absolutely atrocious typeface. Although I don’t typically need readers, I considered ordering a magnifying glass due to the small text. However, the paper weight worked for the type of work this was.
Editorially from Old’s perspective, I appreciated that he began his argument with Baptism. If the Christian life truly begins with Baptism, there is no better place to begin. I also enjoyed his selected readings for further thought. My Amazon cart is a couple hundred dollars heavier right now, with works I never even knew I would one day want to read.
Overall, this book was incredibly helpful. I hadn’t considered worship as an academic study before approaching this text. While there are several topics I would have liked included, I understand the constraints of time and scope. One notable omission is the Dutch Reformed tradition. Towards the end, Old briefly mentions Kuyper, but otherwise, his definition of Reformed seems to exclude the Dutch. This might be because the retrieval of Dutch Reformed thought in American Presbyterianism mainly occurred through institutions like Westminster and RTS, which might explain the omission from a classically trained Princeton scholar. Nonetheless, I will revisit this work, and it has earned a permanent place in my reference library.
A brief aside on the copy I read: It was borrowed from a friend who is presently a TE in the PCA but was Baptist in seminary. This was one of his seminary textbooks, and his marginalia showed his serious engagement with Reformed worship while still trying to argue for a Baptistic understanding. This added an enjoyable layer to my reading, as I could see a Baptist’s good faith responses to a Reformed and specifically Presbyterian view of worship. Additionally, it helped me understand my friend better, seeing his initial thoughts as he encountered this work.
July 18, 2025
This book was a mixed bag. On the one hand, I appreciated the historical emphasis of the author, as it elucidated both the diversity and unity of the Reformed tradition in matters of worship. It was especially helpful to see how the continental tradition of multiple prayers during the service was exchanged in the Westminster Assemblies Directory for Worship for an omnibus prayer through Congregationalist influence.
On the other hand, the book is nearly devoid of citations and so it would be hard to dig deeper into the historical record. Also, the author is far too appreciative of “Pietism, rationalism, and romanticism” and its influence on Reformed worship. The author also has clear Bathian influence, seen best in his contrasting of 16th century covenant theology with what he calls the elaborate systems of the 17th century.
On the subject of the 17th century, I would have appreciated it if Oliphant had spent more time on showing the liturgy of the high orthodoxy period of the 17th century, but I would not be surprised if the author was beholden to the “Calvin and the Calvinists” thesis to some degree that would have prevented him studying that period quite as fruitfully as the Reformation and Early Orthodoxy period.
On the other hand, the book is nearly devoid of citations and so it would be hard to dig deeper into the historical record. Also, the author is far too appreciative of “Pietism, rationalism, and romanticism” and its influence on Reformed worship. The author also has clear Bathian influence, seen best in his contrasting of 16th century covenant theology with what he calls the elaborate systems of the 17th century.
On the subject of the 17th century, I would have appreciated it if Oliphant had spent more time on showing the liturgy of the high orthodoxy period of the 17th century, but I would not be surprised if the author was beholden to the “Calvin and the Calvinists” thesis to some degree that would have prevented him studying that period quite as fruitfully as the Reformation and Early Orthodoxy period.
November 9, 2023
4.5
I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. With my multidenominational background, Old’s book was very helpful in explaining much about Reformed worship. The last chapter, on Tradition and Practice, was my favorite, but the ones on baptism, the Lord’s Supper, The Lord’s Day, and Daily Prayer were also very helpful.
I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. With my multidenominational background, Old’s book was very helpful in explaining much about Reformed worship. The last chapter, on Tradition and Practice, was my favorite, but the ones on baptism, the Lord’s Supper, The Lord’s Day, and Daily Prayer were also very helpful.
November 18, 2025
Very enjoyable as an overview!
June 10, 2015
This book may be composed of transcribed lectures, but I was already wishing it was longer even before I got to the pgh on page 162 where Hughes Old describes the different topics and figures that he himself wished he had time to explore.
An outstanding introduction to the beating heart of biblical worship that isn't a screed against contemporary worship or a sectarian account blind to the diversity that exists even among the Reformed. Old has done a wonderful job of introducing and summarizing the components of worship as they have developed over time. Olds' treatment of preaching, baptism, and the Lord's Supper were quite good, but particularly helpful to me were the neglected topics of almsgiving and daily prayer.
Highly recommended to provide grounding in the scriptural and historic basis of Reformed worship.
An outstanding introduction to the beating heart of biblical worship that isn't a screed against contemporary worship or a sectarian account blind to the diversity that exists even among the Reformed. Old has done a wonderful job of introducing and summarizing the components of worship as they have developed over time. Olds' treatment of preaching, baptism, and the Lord's Supper were quite good, but particularly helpful to me were the neglected topics of almsgiving and daily prayer.
Highly recommended to provide grounding in the scriptural and historic basis of Reformed worship.
September 11, 2020
This book was very interesting. It was assigned for my theological survey class last fall, but the professor ended up dropping it from the list of required reading. I read it anyway and I'm so glad I did. Having been raised in more evangelical baptistic church culture, there are a lot of things about traditionally reformed practices that I have been blessed by but didn't necessarily understand. This book answered a lot of my questions showing how and where particular practices are grounded in theological persuasions. My husband and I are not completely convinced on all of it, (and are not sure how much it matters in choosing a church), but I definitely have a deeper understanding of and appreciation for confessional liturgies and everything that accompanies that church tradition.
December 14, 2020
I'm not sure who this book was intended for. For the most part, it's as dry as an academic work. On the other hand, there are no citations for all the historical details like I would expect in an academic work.
At any rate, much of the content here is excellent. The chapter on singing is worth the price of the book. The chapter on the Lord's Supper, on the other hand, commits a few classic errors that hamper its usefulness.
All that is to say this book is a mixed bag. I'm still glad I read it, and I might recommend it, but my recommendation will come with qualifications.
At any rate, much of the content here is excellent. The chapter on singing is worth the price of the book. The chapter on the Lord's Supper, on the other hand, commits a few classic errors that hamper its usefulness.
All that is to say this book is a mixed bag. I'm still glad I read it, and I might recommend it, but my recommendation will come with qualifications.
April 9, 2025
It’s a solid summary of the Reformed view in contrast with other historical views. It’s a bit dry and the constant restarting history with every chapter was monotonous. Theological 5 stars, as a captivating read, 3.
November 30, 2021
A fine primer on worship. Required reading for the MTIOPC course on Reformed Worship. Dr. Old focused more on the historical development of Reformed Worship, and thus a robust Biblical Theology of worship was found lacking in certain portions of the book. Recommend nonetheless; highly recommend the Worship course taught by Glen Clary.
2nd read through. Still a good read; lots to chew on here.
2nd read through. Still a good read; lots to chew on here.
March 16, 2009
Excellent overview of worship. Final chapter on tradition and practice fantastic. One of the best scholars on worship around.
October 4, 2022
Pretty good overview of the historic liturgy of the reformed church... I imagine many reformed churches today wouldn't recognize what this looks like.
September 30, 2011
I really appreciated and enjoyed this book.
9/30/11 - reread the chapter on prayer and am just amazed at how insightful Old is every time I read him.
9/30/11 - reread the chapter on prayer and am just amazed at how insightful Old is every time I read him.
September 21, 2025
Absolutely fantastic survey of the reformed aspects of worship. Smart, succinct, thought-provoking. Made and inspired me in several areas.
April 2, 2014
A great and wonderful historical book on the concept and many facets of worship throughout the ages. Well worth any historian's time, and a must read for pastors.
October 1, 2019
Having thoroughly enjoyed Old's multi-volume work on the Reading and Preaching of Scripture, it was good to visit an "old friend" in this much shorter work.
As I have previously encountered, the Author has a great love for Church History - especially the Church Fathers and the Reformers - and his coverage of these areas alone makes this a very worthwhile book. However, as is explained by the Author, this book is aimed at examine Worship from a Reformed point-of-view. Thus as a Lutheran Pastor, there are areas in which I disagree with the conclusions made - but that in no way diminishes the value of this fine book. Old always treads Luther very fairly, as he does all the Reformers (and Church Fathers) - and will just as easily raise concerns for things raised by Calvin and other Reformed saints.
So if you are expecting the analysis of the different ways that different Christian Traditions handle worship then you are better to examine the multi-volume work mentioned above. This book gives a good insight into the history and reasons for Reformed Worship, and offers valuable challenges to all Christian Traditions, included Reformed. It is always good to look at why we do things, and to learn why others do what they do :)
As I have previously encountered, the Author has a great love for Church History - especially the Church Fathers and the Reformers - and his coverage of these areas alone makes this a very worthwhile book. However, as is explained by the Author, this book is aimed at examine Worship from a Reformed point-of-view. Thus as a Lutheran Pastor, there are areas in which I disagree with the conclusions made - but that in no way diminishes the value of this fine book. Old always treads Luther very fairly, as he does all the Reformers (and Church Fathers) - and will just as easily raise concerns for things raised by Calvin and other Reformed saints.
So if you are expecting the analysis of the different ways that different Christian Traditions handle worship then you are better to examine the multi-volume work mentioned above. This book gives a good insight into the history and reasons for Reformed Worship, and offers valuable challenges to all Christian Traditions, included Reformed. It is always good to look at why we do things, and to learn why others do what they do :)
October 5, 2017
Old is very skilled at tracing the history of certain practices, doctrines, and traditions. Throughout this book, he devotes a chapter to various elements of Christian worship (preaching, sacraments, psalm & hymn singing, etc.) and demonstrates how they developed over time and how the Church in various ages understood and taught regarding those various practices. He doesn't shy away from pointing out where there was error or misunderstanding. Old's writing style is dense but not tedious, rich rather than technical. This was quite enjoyable, informative, and I'd highly commend it to those who enjoy history, and especially to those who are in Church leadership. Our calling is to worship God, so we ought to do so according to Scripture; Old does a marvelous job of demonstrating how Christian worship has comes down to us through history and where it is in alignment with Scripture, and where our worship may need some reformation.
October 17, 2018
This is a great overview of the history of Reformed Worship. The book covers: worship in general, baptism, songs, preaching, the Lord's Supper, prayer, daily prayer, almsgiving, and concludes with a chapter that wrestles with the question, 'how best do we appropriate these Reformed practices."
Each chapter follows a very clear and helpful structure of looking at the biblical material on each part of worship (starting in the OT then moving to the NT0, and then it transitions into looking at how each part of worship was understood in the early church, the medieval church, and then in the Reformation. There are plenty of quotes from notable theologians from these ages of church history.
Very good. Very informative. Detailed, but not dense.
Each chapter follows a very clear and helpful structure of looking at the biblical material on each part of worship (starting in the OT then moving to the NT0, and then it transitions into looking at how each part of worship was understood in the early church, the medieval church, and then in the Reformation. There are plenty of quotes from notable theologians from these ages of church history.
Very good. Very informative. Detailed, but not dense.
June 8, 2020
Hughes Old offers a really interesting historical development of various aspects of corporate worship. Each chapter takes an element of worship and examines it in the Scriptures before outlining the development through church history. It is a bit difficult to understand what qualifies a development worth including in his historical survey. Sometimes it feels like developments that impact modern reformed congregations. Other times it seems to be developments that shaped white American Protestantism. Either way, it doesn't seem like a consistent approach across chapters. His two longer chapters have headers, which is great but he omits them in the "shorter" chapters which makes them much more difficult to read.
May 9, 2025
Probably the best book I’ve read on Reformed worship. I’ve never read a book that explains the history behind Reformed practices with respect to particular elements of worship (or, at least don’t recall if the books I read treat these). My biggest takeaway is the diversity of practices among the Reformed showing there’s no “Reformed” view of how to execute any particular element. But, this is good as it provides many avenues to appeal to whenever explaining why a Reformed church may practice worship the way they do.
April 13, 2020
This book is a fantastic review of the history of worship in the christian church with special emphasis on patristics and reformation era. Much of the research that Old did in his dissertation on the influence of patristics in the reformed liturgy, comes to life again in this work. It really helps your understanding of why we worship the way we do. Aside from my personal disagreement with his conclusions on Psalmody, the work was excellent from start to finish.
August 9, 2024
I got the opportunity to read this book for my worship class at RTS. What I thought was going to be the most boring book turned out being my favorite. Old does a great job breaking down the historicities of orthodox Christian worship. He is not necessarily making arguments about positions, but his clear and researched presentation of historical worship practices provides ample support for the reformed position. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to further understand the Reformed position on worship.
February 11, 2019
Excellent treatise on the subject of Reformed worship. Old is masterful in his succinct presentation of Reformed ecclesiology and order of worship. Brings the transcendence of God to full view in a way modern churches have watered-down or abandoned outright.
March 16, 2020
It is such a great book
The books is so helpful to lead us to our root of Christian tradition,and provides some insight on how to revive the traditional principles and apply them to our day.
The books is so helpful to lead us to our root of Christian tradition,and provides some insight on how to revive the traditional principles and apply them to our day.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews