Worship Wars in Early Lutheranism: Choir, Congregation, and Three Centuries of Conflict

Rating:
Summary: An excellent enterance into the worship of early Lutherans
Review: This book reviews the worship of the first two centuries of the German Lutheran Churches. Using visitation records, Herl looks at what the actual worship services looked like and sounded like. This book covers, not only what the service orders were like, but also how they were used by the congregations, and how the laity of those congregations responded to these services. Herl sees the first centuries as ones of great change, with the slow adoption of hymns and hymnals, but also how those centuries were marked by conflict, with lay choirs gradually giving way to congregational singing (which singing was...well, not always good). Also, the changes from Latin to German, and the changes with the introduction of the organ are covered.
I enjoyed this book, often reading parts of it aloud to my wife (who was not always as thrilled as I was), and depressed by parts of it (as liturgical Lutheran worship was not always well received). I learned a great deal more about the history of my church by reading this book. I recommend it to all pastors and laity interested in scholarly work on worship, church music, and the results of the German reformation.