Thesis (M.A.)-- Vanguard University of Southern California, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 310-325) .

In the field of liturgical theology, there is a common understanding that the prescriptive theological claims of theologians do not often match the descriptive, lived reality of worshippers. Put differently, there is a gap between the “primary” theological activity of worship and the formal “secondary” theology of the academic liturgical theologian. Within this interstice lie the liturgical-theological articulations of “ordinary,” non-specialist worshippers. This project argues that liturgical theology has not focused upon the human subject to a sufficient standard and proposes the method of liturgical biography as a descriptive and analytically rich avenue to construct liturgical theologies. Liturgical biography utilizes longitudinal oral interviews and personal journal entries, supported by ethnographic fieldwork, to describe the lived reality of the “ordinary” primary theologian (the worshipper) engaging in worship and liturgical-theological reflection. In addition to a methodological proposal, this project offers and analyzes the liturgical biographies of two worshippers who attend the New York City campus of Hillsong Church, a global Pentecostal megachurch-turned-denomination. Chapter One discusses the theoretical underpinning to liturgical biography, incorporating the concept of the rhizome developed by Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari. Liturgical biography is needed because worship is too rhizomatically complex for the universalizing and prescriptive claims of liturgical theology. Chapter Two provides a working history and liturgical theology of Hillsong Church rendered from Hillsong’s primary sources (i.e., books, sermons, song lyrics, blogs). Chapters Three and Four examine the personal histories and liturgical-theological claims of these two “primary theologians” who attend Hillsong New York City, whose claims are then placed in conversation with liturgical-theological interlocutors and other allied fields of discourse. These chapters are “co-constructed” insofar as the primary theologians’ voices take the lead, but the researcher employs the thematization and organization of the materials. Their liturgical theologies demonstrate the “gap” between primary and secondary theology, elucidate the rhizomatic complexity of worship, and offer unique contributions to liturgical theology, especially by giving voice to the underrepresented perspectives of Pentecostals and Evangelicals. Chapter Five concludes the project by arguing in favor of liturgical biography as a viable method for liturgical theology and further theorizes its ecumenical import. / 2021-07-25T00:00:00Z

Abstract Granfrid, Signe, 2022: Relationen mellan Gud och människa: En genuskritisk analys av Hillsongs musik (The Relationship Between God and human: A Gender Critical analysis of Hillsongs music) Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. Uppsala studies in Theology and Religious Studies, - Philosophical Specialisation In this essay the relationship between God and human is studied in music produced by Hillsong Church. The overall purpose is to analyse how the relationship is constructed concerning gender and the characteristics of a relationship. I also critically review the theology’s potential to invite people to relate to and live with God. The purpose is reached through an analysis of five of the most essential Hillsong songs; What a Beautiful Name, Who you say I am, Resurrender, Still and From the Inside Out. The method used is a descriptive and critical idea analysis with a hermeneutical approach. The study makes use of the Jewish philosopher Martin Buber’s theory of the makings of relationship, which emphasizes mutuality in the present as constitutive, and the Christian feminist theologian Sallie McFague’s thoughts on traditional portrayals of God. The analysis shows that the relationship between God and human lacks mutuality and is built on past experience of God rather than presence with God. God and human relate to one another through their fixated positions; human being broken and unable, and God the benignant rescuer, portrayed traditionally as Father and King. In the last chapter I reflect upon the theology expressed in the songs and present my own constructive contribution. I discuss in what way the human is affected by the theology presented and argue that the context in which interpretation takes place is of key importance. I also discuss different models of God and argue that complex and transcendent ones are needed. I propose a brave theology allowing elaborative thought of different ways to imagine God. Lastly, I discuss the human-divine relationship as such and propose a relational model on the basis of dialogue as a beneficent alternative to the hierarchy-based model found in Hillsong’s music.   Keywords: Hillsong, Models of God, Gender, Contemporary Christian Music (CCM), Pentecostal, Human-Divine-Relationship, Worship

Denna studie har undersökt hur religiösa genusidentiteter konstrueras på Instagram bland unga kvinnor inom Hillsong Sverige. Syftet med studien har varit att undersöka vilka strategier som unga kvinnor använder i sin identitetskonstruktion på det sociala mediet Instagram samt vilken religiös genusidentitet som konstrueras. Studiens teoretiska ramverk har utgått från socialkonstruktivism och en förståelse av identitet som något konstruerat i en social praktik där både strukturer och aktörskap gör sig gällande. Teorierna kring identitet och religiös identitetskonstruktion har främst förankrats i Nancy T Ammermans teori om identitet som något ständigt föränderligt och som konstrueras genom ett identitetsnarrativ. Studien har utifrån den förståelsen av identitet använt narrativ som begrepp för att diskutera vilken berättelse som unga kvinnor inom Hillsong berättar om sina roller som troende kvinnor. För att besvara studiens syfte- och frågeställningar har en kombinerad metoddesign använts där kvalitativa djupintervjuer varit främsta metod. Intervjumaterialet har kombinerats med en analys av studiedeltagarnas Instagraminlägg som också utgjort ett material i djupintervjuerna. Materialet bygger på intervjuer och Instagraminlägg från tre informanter. Studiens resultat visar att Instagram utgör ett redskap för att aktivt konstruera religiösa genusiden- titeter online. De strategier som framkommer är bland annat motstånd och avstånd, kvinnorna motsätter sig en exponering av sig själva enligt rådande normer på Instagram. Den huvudsakliga strategin som framträder är istället alternativ där Instagram använts för att utmana rådande genus- identiteter och normer. På så sätt uttrycker de en längtan efter att konstruera en ny form av religiös genusidentitet. En sista strategi som framkommer i studien är hashtags för att skapa en kollektiv religiös genusidentitet och därmed utmana betydelsen av tid och plats. Kvinnorollen som framträ- der är bestående av flera olika identitetspositioner och ses som ett aktivt arbete. Kvinnan konstrue- ras både omsorgsfull som en mor, utvald som en prinsessa och aktiv som en ledare och krigare. På så vis framkommer två delvis motstridiga narrativ, ett traditionellt narrativ där kvinnans roll främst konstrueras utifrån traditionellt kvinnliga områden samtidigt som den sociala praktiken inom Hillsong Sisterhood främjar kvinnors synlighet i traditionellt manliga områden som ledare, predi- kanter, musikproducenter och artister.

This thesis analyses the negative and positive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the religious practices of the pentecostal Hillsong church in Malmö, Sweden. To do so it draws on theoretical concepts of affordance, mediatization of religion, and media effects, in order to explore what emerged through digital ethnographic research that included church event observations, interviews, and qualitative surveys. It is argued that the digital form of communication among believers during the pandemic constrained religious practices in terms of service, congregational worship and connection with fellow worshippers. However, this kind of communication has also made it possible to maintain church fellowship in a creative and simultaneously safe and feasible way. The virtual space created through video streams, Zoom meetings and other online activity impacted the way people worship and engage with the preaching and the congregation as a whole. Thus the purpose of this study is to explore the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic requirement for online worship on religious practices in a Nordic location of the Hillsong church, examining ways in which online and offline religious practices were isolated from, integrated into and influenced by one another to accomplish individual and corporate needs and goals.

Text in German with summaries in German and English / Die Masterarbeit untersucht die 20 meist gespielten Hillsong-Lieder aus dem Jahre 2016 in Deutschland. Untersuchte Aspekte sind die Hauptthemen der Liedtexte, die Sänger- / Adressat-Perspektive, die Einordnung in das gesamtbiblische Narrativ sowie die Funktionen der Lieder innerhalb des Gottesdienstes. Anhand dieser Aspekte wird der Kritik, die an die Lieder gerichtet wird, begegnet. Kritisiert wird unter anderem die theologische Substanzlosigkeit der Lieder, das verzerrte Gottesbild, fehlende Themen wie Leid, Klage, Soziale Gerechtigkeit oder die Fokussierung auf das Individuum anstatt auf Gott. Die Arbeit weist nach, dass die Kritik an mangelndem Inhalt gerechtfertigt ist. Die Lieder kommunizieren darüber hinaus ein einseitiges Gottesbild, das Jesus im Fokus hat. Es wird dargestellt, dass die Themen Leid, Klage und Soziale Gerechtigkeit unterrepräsentiert sind. Auf der grammatikalischen Ebene weisen die Lieder einen starken Fokus auf das Individuum auf. Durch die Untersuchung der Funktionen wird jedoch gezeigt, dass die meisten Lieder trotz einer Ich-Perspektive stark gemeinschaftsstiftend sind. Das liegt vor allem an der koinonialen Funktionen sowie der Kombinationen von diakonischer und seelsorgerlicher Funktion mancher Lieder. Neben diesen Funktionen übernehmen die Lieder oft noch die kerygmatische, missionarische und pädagogische Funktion. / The master thesis examines the 20 most played Hillsong songs from 2016 in Germany. Aspects examined are the main themes of the lyrics, the singer-/ addressee perspective, the classification into the biblical narrative as well as the functions of the songs within the worship service. Based on these aspects, the criticism directed at the songs is met. Criticized are, among other things, the theological lack of substance of the songs, the distorted image of God, missing topics like suffering, lamentation, social justice or the focus on the individual instead of God. The work proves that the criticism of lack of content is justified. In addition, the songs communicate a one-sided image of God that strongly focuses on Jesus as an addressee. It shows that the issues of suffering, lamentation and social justice are underrepresented. On the grammatical level, the songs have a strong focus on the individual. Examining the functions, however, shows that most of the songs, despite a first-person perspective, are strongly community-building. This is mainly due to the koinonial function and the combinations of diaconal and pastoral function of some songs. In addition to these functions, the songs often take on the kerygmatic, missionary and pedagogical function / Practical Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology)

Abstract in German and English / Die Masterarbeit untersucht die 20 meist gespielten Hillsong-Lieder aus dem Jahre 2016 in Deutschland. Untersuchte Aspekte sind die Hauptthemen der Liedtexte, die Sänger- / Adressat-Perspektive, die Einordnung in das gesamtbiblische Narrativ sowie die Funktionen der Lieder innerhalb des Gottesdienstes. Anhand dieser Aspekte wird der Kritik, die an die Lieder gerichtet wird, begegnet. Kritisiert wird unter anderem die theologische Substanzlosigkeit der Lieder, das verzerrte Gottesbild, fehlende Themen wie Leid, Klage, Soziale Gerechtigkeit oder die Fokussierung auf das Individuum anstatt auf Gott. Die Arbeit weist nach, dass die Kritik an mangelndem Inhalt erechtfertigt ist. Die Lieder kommunizieren darüber hinaus ein einseitiges Gottesbild, das Jesus im Fokus hat. Es wird dargestellt, dass die Themen Leid, Klage und Soziale Gerechtigkeit unterrepräsentiert sind. Auf der grammatikalischen Ebene weisen die Lieder einen starken Fokus auf das Individuum auf. Durch die Untersuchung der Funktionen wird jedoch gezeigt, dass die meisten Lieder trotz einer Ich-Perspektive stark gemeinschaftsstiftend sind. Das liegt vor allem an der koinonialen Funktionen sowie der Kombinationen von diakonischer und seelsorgerlicher Funktion mancher Lieder. Neben diesen Funktionen übernehmen die Lieder oft noch die kerygmatische, missionarische und pädagogische Funktion. / The master thesis examines the 20 most played Hillsong songs from 2016 in Germany. Aspects examined are the main themes of the lyrics, the singer-/ addressee perspective, the classification into the biblical narrative as well as the functions of the songs within the worship service. Based on these aspects, the criticism directed at the songs is met. Criticized are, among other things, the theological lack of substance of the songs, the distorted image of God, missing topics like suffering, lamentation, social justice or the focus on the individual instead of God. The work proves that the criticism of lack of content is justified. In addition, the songs communicate a one-sided image of God that strongly focuses on Jesus as an addressee. It shows that the issues of suffering, lamentation and social justice are nderrepresented. On the grammatical level, the songs have a strong focus on the individual. Examining the functions, however, shows that most of the songs, despite a first-person perspective, are strongly community-building. This is mainly due to the koinonial function and the combinations of diaconal and pastoral function of some songs. In addition to these functions, the songs often take on the kerygmatic, missionary and pedagogical function. / Practical Theology / M. Th. (Practical Theology)