2005
Kenneth John Dorsch
Worship Called To Its Senses: The Integration of the Spiritual and the Multi-Sensory
This thesis explores the theory and praxis of worship in a postmodern context. By focusing on the experience of those in Generation-X, the thesis traces the foundational shift from a modern to a postmodern paradigm and the opportunities this presents to the church for its worship. Through the use of four contrasting case studies, two generative themes emerge: (1) the value of the multisensory potential of worship, and (2) the need for belonging to an authentic community that is both inclusive and interdependent. Insights from aesthetics, hermeneutics, theology and philosophy suggest that worship will be most creative, enriching and transformative when it is interactive and multivalent. The church is challenged to find new ways of worship that invite people into not only the “knowledge” of God, but also the “experience” of God.