The Contribution of the Book of Psalms to a Pentecostal Theology of Worship

Abstract

This article seeks to integrate two perspectives on worship: one from the book of Psalms and the other from the Pentecostal movement. Regarding the psalms, as Israel’s response to YHWH’s self-revelation and actions, they represent a significant expression of Israel’s theology. Although the psalms have been used consistently within Jewish and Christian worship, they have rarely been consulted in the construction of a theology of worship. Regarding the Pentecostal movement, although Pentecostalism has impacted worship practices around the world, it has not developed a fully-formed theology of worship. This study examines the book of Psalms in order to discern the ways in which the Psalter might contribute to a Pentecostal theology of worship. The article concludes that, when taken as a whole, the book of Psalms stresses the importance of worship, grounds worship in covenantal commitment, integrates worship and theology, conceives of music as an end in itself, sees worship as a location of spiritual formation, and presents worship as a form of proclamation.

Keywords

• liturgical theology
• spirituality
• spiritual disciplines
• Pentecostal theology