Liturgy & Justice

LITURGY AND JUSTICE Student’s name Course Date Golden Thread Lisa Allen’s book, A Womanist Theology of Worship, examines the origins of the Black church, its connection to justice, and how white supremacist and Eurocentric ideas shaped its liturgy. By tracing the roots of the Black church to Africa, Allen provides a strong foundation for a womanist theology of worship, which she argues can help sustain the Black church into the future. In essence, Allen's thesis is that a womanist theology of worship undergirded by African cosmologies can ensure the sustainability of the Black church, which is currently dying as it is devoid of the lived experiences of Black people. Allen's book describes the history of the Black church as a journey, starting in Africa and with a future in need of a womanist theology of worship. The book is divided into three parts. In part one, the book discusses the liturgical legacy of the Black church, with a focus on the influence of African ancestral traditions on worship practices throughout history. In part two, the author examines how the Black church adapted Eurocentric liturgies that were centered on Anti-blackness. In part three, Allen offers a new paradigm in a womanist theology of worship, which she argues would ensure the sustainability of the Black church. Central to Allen’s argument is the idea that justice was the foundation of the invisible institution that grew to become the Black church. Right from invisible institutions to the 20th century's Civil Rights Movement, the Black church’s worship practices were characterized by “African ancestral calls for equity, justice, and communal righteousness.” This underpins the significance of worship in Black communities. Communal action expressed in the relationship between God and humanity is the core of Black liturgy. Black liturgy ought to directly address the lived experiences of Black people, affirming God’s plan for their future. Allen thus contends that it is important to authentically link liturgy to justice, as the two are inseparable. As Africans settled in the new world, African cosmological worldviews provided a foundation of worship for them as they had a view of God who was not only just but also caring and compassionate. In essence, Black worship practices were characterized by ideas of God from Africa, which included the conception of God as just. As Africans in America resisted slavery and worshiped in secret, they sought justice, which became a key element of Black liturgy throughout history. In this sense, key themes that characterized the Black worship experience during the antebellum period included resistance, survival, deliverance and liberation, and affirmation and joy. The development of Black liturgy was thus influenced to a great extent by African cosmologies as they were integrated into elements of worship including music, prayers, and preaching.[BIBLIOGRAPHY \l 1033 Allen, Lisa. 2021. A Womanist Theology of Worship: Liturgy, Justice and Communal Righteousness. New York: Orbis Books., 13] [Allen, 26] [Allen, 30] [Allen, 77] While Black liturgy is significantly rooted in justice, Eurocentric theologies had deleterious effects on its ability to address the lived experiences of Black people. Puritanism upheld the belief that white people were called by God to be masters while Black people were called to be slave...