This study seeks to explore, affirm, and foster the place of dance in African liturgies, in other words, the place of bodily movement in worship in an African context. It argues, therefore, that the integration of the religio-cultural symbols of dance/bodily movements in liturgical celebrations is justified in the African cultural context because such symbolic gestures have the capacity to augment the active participation of the worshipper. This is so because embodied participation disposes the believer to offer praise, thanksgiving, adoration and worship, and in so doing, helps the worshipper to surrender to the Mystery we name God, who is summoning them. Though liturgical dance is increasingly a part of Eucharistic celebrations in Africa, there nevertheless remains vehement opposition to this cultural symbol in some quarters. This study therefore investigates some of the reasons behind this resistance and seeks to offer possible remedies that might foster the integration of dance in liturgy. The thesis uses inculturation as the lens through which it hopes to justify the place of the body in African liturgical celebrations. It argues that liturgical worship ought to spring from the cultural milieu of the People of God if it is to be meaningful and allow for active participation, but more importantly, if it is to help them to encounter God and the neighbor as a people in whom God dwells – the imago Dei. Therefore, the task of this study is to foster ways of rendering the liturgy responsive to the deep yearnings of the worshipping community in Africa. The thesis employs an interdisciplinary approach, utilizing history, Scripture, theology, especially African theology, and the African socio-cultural, anthropological and philosophical literature. In addition, the study brings to bear on the discussion the researcher’s own experience of dance in various African contexts. This study posits that overcoming onto-theology and embracing symbolic sacramentality grounds the integration of dance in worship. For this reason, it is anchored in the following argumentations: 1) the ubiquity of dance in religious practice, in Scripture, and in Christian liturgical history; 2) the theological and ecclesiological underpinnings of the inculturation of dance in liturgy; 3) the receptivity of dance in worship, and lastly; 4) dance as an African socio-cultural and religious symbol. The study concludes with some pastoral recommendations to help overcome the challenges facing the project of liturgical inculturation in Africa.

The history of dancing in liturgy ... models for using dance in the eucharist ... and examples of dance consistent with the church year. How to dance. Why to dance. And how dance fits into liturgy. Kane's easy-to-follow format lets you choose the right movement for different parts of worship, much as you would choose the right music. VerEecke shares his personal account as a dancer - a theologian's conception of his art. Gagne provides a historical look at dance in worship and a chronology of the events which have shaped attitudes toward dance. Includes suggested gestures for danced prayer, step-by-step dance movements for use in your church, and many photographs. Inspiring. Informative. Easily reachable. A practical guide - with scholarship to back it up. -- from back cover.

Ever since its emergence in colonial-era Cuba, Afro-Cuban Santería (or Lucumí) has displayed a complex dynamic of continuity and change in its institutions, rituals, and iconography. In Santería Enthroned, David H. Brown combines art history, cultural anthropology, and ethnohistory to show how Africans and their descendants have developed novel forms of religious practice in the face of relentless oppression. Focusing on the royal throne as a potent metaphor in Santería belief and practice, Brown shows how negotiation among ideologically competing interests have shaped the religion's symbols, rituals, and institutions from the nineteenth century to the present. Rich case studies of change in Cuba and the United States, including a New Jersey temple and South Carolina's Oyotunji Village, reveal patterns of innovation similar to those found among rival Yoruba kingdoms in Nigeria. Throughout, Brown argues for a theoretical perspective on culture as a field of potential strategies and "usable pasts" that actors draw upon to craft new forms and identities—a perspective that will be invaluable to all students of the African Diaspora. American Acemy of Religion Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion (Analytical-Descriptive Category)

Church weddings, funerals, and most Sunday services reflect the values and dramas of their communities, even when the ministers are the main or sole actors. This point is illustrated by examples ranging from American television masses to the Zairean three-hour services in the Congo. Of greatest interest to readers might be the Sunday services at ordinary parishes, which also range from friendly but uninspiring to innovative and inviting. There are also two exceptionally vital churches analyzed here: an evangelical church in the Pentecostal tradition and a social justice parish in the tradition of Martin Luther King Jr. Today one can hardly buy an item in a store or on the Internet without being asked for an evaluation, yet church services are seldom evaluated. There can be no improvement without evaluation. This book proposes a method of evaluation in eight steps that must be rigorously scientific and at the same time offer a vision for spiritual growth. The prophet Elijah found God in earthquakes and fire, but most people find mystery through art, music, rhythm, chanting, expressive readings, evocative rituals, and enlightened homilies. Today people expect “mystagogy” rather than routine performances. Mystagogy can be learned and improved through evaluation, to which this book desires to make a major contribution.