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Worshiping with the Church Fathers
Christopher Hall invites us to accompany the fathers as they enter the sanctuary for worship and the chapel for prayer. He also takes us to the wilderness, where we learn from the early monastics as they draw close to God in their solitary discipline. The focus of this book is not liturgy but more broadly worship in its corporate and individual dimensions. We enter into the patristic understanding of baptism and the Eucharist. And we come under the instruction and discipline of great spiritual teachers of prayer. In two previous books, Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers and Learning Theology with the Church Fathers, Christopher Hall has ushered us alongside the church fathers as they study the Scriptures and plumb the depths of theology. In this survey of the spiritual life of worship he informs and challenges Christians in faithful living today. Hall weaves his own experiences into his observations of the fathers' practices and teachings and so helps us close the gap of the centuries. Readers will enjoy a rich and rare schooling in developing their spiritual life.
280 pages, Paperback
First published November 25, 2009
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201 people want to read
About the author
Christopher A. Hall
28 books24 followersChristopher A. Hall (PhD, Drew University) is chancellor of Eastern University and dean of Palmer Theological Seminary in St. Davids, Pennsylvania, and has authored a number of books. He is an editor at large for Christianity Today and associate editor of the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture series.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 16, 2019
The first 3rd of the book deals with sacraments and the structure of worship, if only briefly per the latter. If you’ve read much into the history of the sacraments, there isn’t much here that is new. The rest of the book deals with prayer, and it is one of the best treatments on prayer I’ve ever read. Most manuals on prayer usually focus on “You need to pray more” or “Communion with God” or something like that. No doubt true. It is the fathers, however, who give you practical guidelines on how to pray.
Order of service. The key witnesses are Justin and Tertullian. We have to be careful with Tertullian, since he prescribes “sisters” exhorting and prophecying. The “president” of the assembly gives an exhortation, followed by a group prayer. Eucharist was weekly.
Oil was used to chrism the baptized (n55).
Relationship between baptism and regeneration: Later fathers such as Gregory of Nyssa assigned it an almost medicinal function, though not by the nature of water itself but by the working of God.
Eucharist
While the fathers hated gnosticism, as we all must, they also lived deeply ascetical lives. This wasn’t a contradiction, for the athletic-like control of the body allowed them to fully participate in the spiritual realities to which matter pointed.
So what happens with the elements? The fathers don’t have anything so refined as transubstantiation, though their language is strongly realist. The key point is that the Eucharist isn’t a repetition of the cross, it is rather a remembrance in the sense that the realities come rushing toward us. This is accomplished by the epiklesis.
Ignatius of Antioch encourages the Ephesians to gather often for the Supper.
Hall doesn’t specifically address it, but his comments on Cyril of Jerusalem show that the elements were received in both kinds. You held out your hands, the right and left hands forming a cup in which to receive the King.
Gregory of Nazianzus’s sister, Gorgonia, couldn’t be healed by the physicians, so she fell down before the altar at midnight. Gorgonia took the leftover Eucharist and applied it to her body and was healed.
Prayer
Prayer flows from our dispositions--our habituated thoughts, words, and actions. This is why praying the psalms is important. Athanasius argued that when we read and chant the psalms, those experiences become our own. Therefore, when we pray the psalms daily (specifically, various cycles of psalms), we aren’t engaged in vain repetition. It is rhythm for our life.
Pray without Ceasing
There is a connection between continual prayer and bodily behavior. Continual prayer requires an assault on our passions, which the fathers took to mean something like but stronger than “bad habits.” Rather, it is “a conglomerate of obsessive emotions, attitudes, and desires.” They are “logismoi” or “dialogismoi,” little maggot-eggs from which evil will spring. Combine these buzzing thoughts with the power of memory, and it is hard to enter into quiet, continual prayer.
The physicality of prayer ties in with what scientists call the “plasticity” of the nervous system. This is why habit-forming practices are so important and even inevitable. As to the how or “what” of prayer, Abba Isaac recommends Paul’s advice in Phil. 4:6-7.
Supplication arises from our sorrow over sin. Intercession is woven by our love for others. Thanksgiving requires a long memory. Sometimes we move into wordless, almost fiery prayer. This is given by God.
Abba Isaac recommends Psalm 70:1 as the key verse to cry out at all moments of the day, whether in adversity or prosperity.
Antony, Athanasius, and Discipline
Antony didn’t know what we moderns know of neuroplasticity, but he had the same idea. Body and soul aren’t the same thing, but they are intimately related to each other. As Hall notes, “Antony habituated his body to labor that maintained the soul’s strength.” Antony’s ascetic labors lasted at least 35 years. Hall’s prose here is simply lovely.
I strongly recommend this book in Hall’s series of the Church Fathers.
Order of service. The key witnesses are Justin and Tertullian. We have to be careful with Tertullian, since he prescribes “sisters” exhorting and prophecying. The “president” of the assembly gives an exhortation, followed by a group prayer. Eucharist was weekly.
Oil was used to chrism the baptized (n55).
Relationship between baptism and regeneration: Later fathers such as Gregory of Nyssa assigned it an almost medicinal function, though not by the nature of water itself but by the working of God.
Eucharist
While the fathers hated gnosticism, as we all must, they also lived deeply ascetical lives. This wasn’t a contradiction, for the athletic-like control of the body allowed them to fully participate in the spiritual realities to which matter pointed.
So what happens with the elements? The fathers don’t have anything so refined as transubstantiation, though their language is strongly realist. The key point is that the Eucharist isn’t a repetition of the cross, it is rather a remembrance in the sense that the realities come rushing toward us. This is accomplished by the epiklesis.
Ignatius of Antioch encourages the Ephesians to gather often for the Supper.
Hall doesn’t specifically address it, but his comments on Cyril of Jerusalem show that the elements were received in both kinds. You held out your hands, the right and left hands forming a cup in which to receive the King.
Gregory of Nazianzus’s sister, Gorgonia, couldn’t be healed by the physicians, so she fell down before the altar at midnight. Gorgonia took the leftover Eucharist and applied it to her body and was healed.
Prayer
Prayer flows from our dispositions--our habituated thoughts, words, and actions. This is why praying the psalms is important. Athanasius argued that when we read and chant the psalms, those experiences become our own. Therefore, when we pray the psalms daily (specifically, various cycles of psalms), we aren’t engaged in vain repetition. It is rhythm for our life.
Pray without Ceasing
There is a connection between continual prayer and bodily behavior. Continual prayer requires an assault on our passions, which the fathers took to mean something like but stronger than “bad habits.” Rather, it is “a conglomerate of obsessive emotions, attitudes, and desires.” They are “logismoi” or “dialogismoi,” little maggot-eggs from which evil will spring. Combine these buzzing thoughts with the power of memory, and it is hard to enter into quiet, continual prayer.
The physicality of prayer ties in with what scientists call the “plasticity” of the nervous system. This is why habit-forming practices are so important and even inevitable. As to the how or “what” of prayer, Abba Isaac recommends Paul’s advice in Phil. 4:6-7.
Supplication arises from our sorrow over sin. Intercession is woven by our love for others. Thanksgiving requires a long memory. Sometimes we move into wordless, almost fiery prayer. This is given by God.
Abba Isaac recommends Psalm 70:1 as the key verse to cry out at all moments of the day, whether in adversity or prosperity.
Antony, Athanasius, and Discipline
Antony didn’t know what we moderns know of neuroplasticity, but he had the same idea. Body and soul aren’t the same thing, but they are intimately related to each other. As Hall notes, “Antony habituated his body to labor that maintained the soul’s strength.” Antony’s ascetic labors lasted at least 35 years. Hall’s prose here is simply lovely.
I strongly recommend this book in Hall’s series of the Church Fathers.
November 1, 2020
Though the book's title suggests the book focuses on worship, it really focuses on the prayer life, relying on patristic fathers and desert fathers to explore prayer as the basis for a spiritual life. Excellent book for any Christian to deepen their spirituality by taking into account writings from the early church. Hall is not Orthodox, which helps him make the fathers more accessible to modern Western minded readers. He is wiling to offer cautions and corrections for the modern Western readers in understanding the fathers that some Orthodox writers would not.
May 25, 2021
This is less about worship and more about prayer. The first 80 pages talk about baptism and communion, but most of it is focused on prayer. The book is a great contribution to the series, but I wish it was either renamed, or touched more on corporate worship. That being said it is such a great introduction to what the church fathers say about prayer.
The book is more dense and heavily deals with primary sources of the father's words themselves. It might not be the most accessible work for the lay person.
The book is more dense and heavily deals with primary sources of the father's words themselves. It might not be the most accessible work for the lay person.
February 28, 2023
An incredible introduction to the worship and formational discipline of the Church Fathers and Desert Fathers. Chris Hall does an expert job of doing quite deep, bringing his academic skill, while making it very accessible to the average human that isn't an academic.
This is a great place to flesh out the conversation of, not just 'what is worship?' but what is discipleship, and how do i/we follow Jesus in the time we have been given.
Excellent job Dr. Hall!!
This is a great place to flesh out the conversation of, not just 'what is worship?' but what is discipleship, and how do i/we follow Jesus in the time we have been given.
Excellent job Dr. Hall!!
May 29, 2017
This is the last (so far) of Christopher Hall's 'with the Fathers' series which I've been reading the last few months, initially as a Lentan reading series which took rather longer than I anticipated to read. I guess, I shouldn't be surprised because they aren't exactly light reading, even if they are excellent theological writing. The whole series explains the church father's approach to the Scriptures or Theology or Spirituality with great clarity and applies it to the modern world with great insight. They just take time to read.
This last volume deals with worship and breaks into three parts. First, there is a discussion of liturgy and worship, then prayer, then the insights of the Desert Fathers about prayer. In each part, Dr. Hall demonstrates his extensive understanding of the source material, but makes it accessible by considering how it is applied. I admit that I shy away from theological discussion of spirituality, not so much because I fear that it is wrong, but rather because I fear it is unattainable. What appeals to me with the Fathers is that, while they can lapse into abstraction like anyone else, there is relentlessly practical streak about the Fathers when it comes to spirituality. That is, they do not and cannot separate theology from prayer or worship, so a consideration of worship or prayer has to take on importance in any theological considerations. That seems a good way to proceed, but it is not automatic in modern theology which has a tendency towards abstraction as result.
Like his other volumes, this book is well-written, but dense. It is worth the read and I, for one, continue to hope that Dr. Hall will bring out his fourth projected volume on social justice. So far, unfortunately, no word on that.
This last volume deals with worship and breaks into three parts. First, there is a discussion of liturgy and worship, then prayer, then the insights of the Desert Fathers about prayer. In each part, Dr. Hall demonstrates his extensive understanding of the source material, but makes it accessible by considering how it is applied. I admit that I shy away from theological discussion of spirituality, not so much because I fear that it is wrong, but rather because I fear it is unattainable. What appeals to me with the Fathers is that, while they can lapse into abstraction like anyone else, there is relentlessly practical streak about the Fathers when it comes to spirituality. That is, they do not and cannot separate theology from prayer or worship, so a consideration of worship or prayer has to take on importance in any theological considerations. That seems a good way to proceed, but it is not automatic in modern theology which has a tendency towards abstraction as result.
Like his other volumes, this book is well-written, but dense. It is worth the read and I, for one, continue to hope that Dr. Hall will bring out his fourth projected volume on social justice. So far, unfortunately, no word on that.
August 29, 2021
This is the third book in Christopher Hall’s four book introduction to the church fathers and I liked this one very much. This book focuses on Christian growth topics like prayer, the devotional life, etc. I had a couple of takeaways from this book.
1. The section on prayer was excellent. What you discover in reading the church fathers was that they struggled with consistent prayer just like we do, and they knew they struggled and (unlike us) they go into a deep analysis of why they struggled and how they might overcome the struggle. Indeed, one of the revelations about reading these books on the church fathers is how human they were with all of the sins and struggles that we face ourselves. The only difference was that they were much more inclined to search out the depths of these struggles than modern Christians are.
2. There is a very interesting section on the desert believers. Mr. Hall does a good job of demonstrating how we can learn and grow from reading about them without falling prey to their weaknesses, we just have to understand them in their context, rather than try to understand them in OUR context. Particularly interesting is Anthony who spent 35 years isolated in the desert before beginning any public ministry 😳. Imagine someone doing that today. We would call him a fool and say he was wasting his life. Different world.
Good book.
1. The section on prayer was excellent. What you discover in reading the church fathers was that they struggled with consistent prayer just like we do, and they knew they struggled and (unlike us) they go into a deep analysis of why they struggled and how they might overcome the struggle. Indeed, one of the revelations about reading these books on the church fathers is how human they were with all of the sins and struggles that we face ourselves. The only difference was that they were much more inclined to search out the depths of these struggles than modern Christians are.
2. There is a very interesting section on the desert believers. Mr. Hall does a good job of demonstrating how we can learn and grow from reading about them without falling prey to their weaknesses, we just have to understand them in their context, rather than try to understand them in OUR context. Particularly interesting is Anthony who spent 35 years isolated in the desert before beginning any public ministry 😳. Imagine someone doing that today. We would call him a fool and say he was wasting his life. Different world.
Good book.
October 10, 2022
Such a fascinating read! I really enjoyed this book. The author presents the reader with different Church fathers' philosophies about worshiping God. The biggest section was on prayer, but he also covered things like baptism and communion. I really appreciate the author's approach. He doesn't give his opinion on whether or not these perspectives were biblical, but just presents the writings and short explanations that provide cultural and historical context. This leaves it up to the reader to compare these doctrines with the Bible. I always love reading church fathers because it causes me to defend my interpretation of Scripture. This is an especially great book to do this with because they're secondary doctrines so I can disagree with the church father and still accept that I'll see him in heaven. It also reminds me to approach other people's opinions with humility because you might be able to learn to look at something in a way that hadn't crossed your mind before.
August 19, 2025
This is an excellent entry point into investigating the thoughts of a broad range of early Christian "fathers" like Augustine, John Chrysostom, Athanasius, Gregory of Nyssa, multiple desert fathers, and more. Half the chapters in the book focus on prayer, from approaches to practical coaching. I left this book with a list of a dozen examples of primary source material that I want to engage with for deeper study. I highly recommend this book for a first step into the work of church fathers in the first four to five centuries after the apostles.
April 16, 2019
Worshiping with the Church Fathers is more personal and spiritual than the other volumes in this series. It's also lengthier, slower, more meditative. Hall calls on some lesser-known fathers to speak on prayer and asceticism. This is one to savor, perhaps as a devotional introduction to ancient spirituality.
November 21, 2019
Much to consider. This is one for me to read again and again.
February 5, 2025
The content in this book was incredible. I learned a lot while reading it. My only critique, and this might just be me, the chapters felt a bit long. Great book though overall.
July 18, 2025
Worshipping is a great study
I really like to study the Church fathers and how they set the foundation of our worship and Christopher does a great job
I really like to study the Church fathers and how they set the foundation of our worship and Christopher does a great job
February 16, 2017
Christopher Hall has done Christians a great service by providing readable, engaging, educational and inspiring works that shed light on the early church. First came Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers and then Learning Theology with the Church Fathers. Now comes this book, a look at the worship life of the early church.
The best thing about these books is they are approachable for any Christian interested in the history of the church. I could see pastors and teachers using these books in churches to help people learn a bit about those Christians who have gone before us: how they read scripture, what they believed theologically and here how they worshiped.
In some ways, I liked this book the most of the three. The other two are on the more academic side, this one is more spiritual (for lack of a better term). Perhaps you could say it is more practical, with about half of it focusing on prayer. In a world hungry for spiritual experiences, this book is filled with wisdom from people very connected to God.
At the same time, I think the book is titled wrongly. I expected a book more on worship in the church as a whole, talking about what an early Christian gathering looked like, what they did when they came together and so on. The first two chapters, on baptism and eucharist, do relate to this to some degree but that is it. Even there the chapters are more on what baptism and eucharist mean (theology) then on how they fit into the life of the community (though there is some of that).
The chapters on prayer are mostly focused on the individual, as are the final two chapters on the monks retreating to the desert. It makes me think a better title would have been "Being Spiritual with the Church Fathers". I think it would have been beneficial to have a chapter on Christian meetings: what kind of buildings were they in? When did they start building churches and why? What was a sermon/teaching like? Did they sing? What did they sing? When did eucharist go from being a full communal meal to a bit of bread and wine?
That does not take away from the value of the book, it is still a great read.
The best thing about these books is they are approachable for any Christian interested in the history of the church. I could see pastors and teachers using these books in churches to help people learn a bit about those Christians who have gone before us: how they read scripture, what they believed theologically and here how they worshiped.
In some ways, I liked this book the most of the three. The other two are on the more academic side, this one is more spiritual (for lack of a better term). Perhaps you could say it is more practical, with about half of it focusing on prayer. In a world hungry for spiritual experiences, this book is filled with wisdom from people very connected to God.
At the same time, I think the book is titled wrongly. I expected a book more on worship in the church as a whole, talking about what an early Christian gathering looked like, what they did when they came together and so on. The first two chapters, on baptism and eucharist, do relate to this to some degree but that is it. Even there the chapters are more on what baptism and eucharist mean (theology) then on how they fit into the life of the community (though there is some of that).
The chapters on prayer are mostly focused on the individual, as are the final two chapters on the monks retreating to the desert. It makes me think a better title would have been "Being Spiritual with the Church Fathers". I think it would have been beneficial to have a chapter on Christian meetings: what kind of buildings were they in? When did they start building churches and why? What was a sermon/teaching like? Did they sing? What did they sing? When did eucharist go from being a full communal meal to a bit of bread and wine?
That does not take away from the value of the book, it is still a great read.
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August 6, 2011A good overview on Early Church Fathers thoughts & practices concerning baptism, Eucharist, prayer, and sacred space (desert monks). i've been reading some of the ECF works as well. We Protestants often skip AD 100 - 1500 and begin with the Reformation. i'm finding that there is a lot to learn from the first 400yrs!
December 7, 2015
This book is one of the best books I've read on prayer, the sacraments, and worship. Devotional while still being scholarly, minutes spent reading this book were not wasted. It made me reconsider how I am praying, worshiping, practicing the spiritual disciplines and again realize the depth of God's love for us and how that love continually transforms our lives.
October 14, 2010
A little on the educational college text side. I think I was looking for something more devotional. Great background on why we do some of the things we do, and the depth of their significance.
June 10, 2022
An excellent read and definitely one I will dip into numerous times. Reread post-pandemic and found it even more meaningful for today with all that the church has been through.
July 6, 2015
thought-provoking -- good resources for further reading
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews