What is Sweeter to us is Clearer: The Aesthetics of Worship – A Historical Survey

The new edition of Foundations contains the papers delivered at our recent Theological Study Conference on the theme of corporate public worship. The third paper was “What is Sweeter to us is Clearer: The Aesthetics of Worship – A Historical Survey” by Bob Letham, Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology at Union School of Theology. He began his paper with these words:

“It should be self-evident that Christian worship is to be shaped by the nature of its object. God, the Holy Trinity, is the only object of worship. Basic to God’s self-revelation is his glory. This is not some abstract concept to which he conforms but is simply the very nature of God, ‘who dwells in inapproachable light’ (1 Tim 1:17), such that no one can look on him as he is and live (Exod 33:20), yet who has made himself known to us as man (John 1:14-15). His glory is beautiful, the quintessence of what beauty is…”

The full paper is available here and the complete journal (over 180 pages, including book reviews) can be found here.