Marva Dawn
Encyclopedia
Marva J. Dawn is an American Christian theologian
, author, musician and educator, associated with the parachurch organization
Christians Equipped for Ministry in Vancouver, Washington
. She also serves as Teaching Fellow in Spiritual Theology at Regent College
in Vancouver, British Columbia. Dawn is generally perceived as a Lutheran evangelical
. She often writes in a paleo-orthodox
style, stressing the importance of Christian tradition and the wisdom of the Church through the centuries. Her birth surname is Gersmehl; Dawn is a pseudonym.
A scholar with four master's degrees and a Ph.D. in Christian Ethics and the Scriptures from the University of Notre Dame
, she has taught for clergy and worship conferences and at seminaries throughout the United States
and Canada
and in Australia
, England
, Hong Kong
, Ireland
, Japan
, Madagascar
, Mexico
, New Zealand
, Poland
, Singapore
and Scotland
. She is also well-known as a preacher and speaker for all ages and sometimes contributes to worship by means of her musical gifts. She is married to Myron Sandberg.
Her 1995 book, Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down: A Theology of Worship for This Urgent Time, which urged a second look at so-called "contemporary Christian worship", caused a stir in evangelical
circles, being the first scholarly work from within the evangelical community to seriously question "seeker sensitive" style worship. Dawn claims that much contemporary worship, which seeks primarily to evangelize through entertainment, is not really Christian worship at all. Rather than focus on bringing people into the church through worship, Dawn argues that worship should instead focus upon the glory and grace of the triune God, not ignoring the artistic treasures and traditions of the Church through the ages. The book remains her most widely read and most talked about work. Dawn continued this exploration in her 1999 book, A Royal "Waste" of Time: The Splendor of Worshiping God and Being Church for the World.
In her more recent work, Dawn has drawn on Albert Borgmann
's notion of the device paradigm
to develop a critique of the church in its capitulation to commodification where worship, for example, becomes a device to attract and please.
Some other notable works include:
Notes. * (honored with the 2002 Christianity Today
Book Award in the category of The Church/Pastoral Leadership). ** (with Eugene Peterson
, author of The Message
)
Christian theology
- Divisions of Christian theology :There are many methods of categorizing different approaches to Christian theology. For a historical analysis, see the main article on the History of Christian theology.- Sub-disciplines :...
, author, musician and educator, associated with the parachurch organization
Parachurch organization
Parachurch organizations are Christian faith-based organizations that work outside of and across denominations to engage in social welfare and evangelism, usually independent of church oversight. These bodies can be businesses, non-profit corporations, or private associations. Most parachurch...
Christians Equipped for Ministry in Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
. She also serves as Teaching Fellow in Spiritual Theology at Regent College
Regent College
Regent College is an international graduate school of Christian Studies, located next to the campus of the University of British Columbia in the University Endowment Lands west of Vancouver, British Columbia, and is an affiliated college of that university....
in Vancouver, British Columbia. Dawn is generally perceived as a Lutheran evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
. She often writes in a paleo-orthodox
Paleo-Orthodoxy
Paleo-orthodoxy is a broad Christian theological movement of the late 20th and early 21st centuries which focuses on the consensual understanding of the faith among the Ecumenical Councils and Church Fathers...
style, stressing the importance of Christian tradition and the wisdom of the Church through the centuries. Her birth surname is Gersmehl; Dawn is a pseudonym.
A scholar with four master's degrees and a Ph.D. in Christian Ethics and the Scriptures from the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, she has taught for clergy and worship conferences and at seminaries throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. She is also well-known as a preacher and speaker for all ages and sometimes contributes to worship by means of her musical gifts. She is married to Myron Sandberg.
Her 1995 book, Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down: A Theology of Worship for This Urgent Time, which urged a second look at so-called "contemporary Christian worship", caused a stir in evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
circles, being the first scholarly work from within the evangelical community to seriously question "seeker sensitive" style worship. Dawn claims that much contemporary worship, which seeks primarily to evangelize through entertainment, is not really Christian worship at all. Rather than focus on bringing people into the church through worship, Dawn argues that worship should instead focus upon the glory and grace of the triune God, not ignoring the artistic treasures and traditions of the Church through the ages. The book remains her most widely read and most talked about work. Dawn continued this exploration in her 1999 book, A Royal "Waste" of Time: The Splendor of Worshiping God and Being Church for the World.
In her more recent work, Dawn has drawn on Albert Borgmann
Albert Borgmann
Albert Borgmann is an American philosopher, specializing in the philosophy of technology. He was born in Freiburg, Germany, and is a professor of philosophy at the University of Montana.-Philosophy:...
's notion of the device paradigm
Device paradigm
- Concept :The term is meant to signify or distinguish between technological devices and "focal things and practices." The term, Device Paradigm, was introduced into the literature of philosophy of technology by Albert Borgmann in his 1984 book, Technology and the Character of Contemporary...
to develop a critique of the church in its capitulation to commodification where worship, for example, becomes a device to attract and please.
Some other notable works include:
- The Sense of the Call: A Sabbath way of life for those who serve God, the church, and the world
- How Shall We Worship?: Biblical Guidelines for the Worship Wars
- Keeping the Sabbath Wholly: Ceasing, Resting, Embracing, Feasting
- Powers, Weakness, and the Tabernacling of God. *
- Truly the Community: Romans 12 and How to Be the Church (formerly titled The Hilarity of Community)
- The Unnecessary Pastor: Rediscovering the Call. **
- Sexual Character: Beyond Technique to Intimacy
Notes. * (honored with the 2002 Christianity Today
Christianity Today
Christianity Today is an Evangelical Christian periodical based in Carol Stream, Illinois. It is the flagship publication of its parent company Christianity Today International, claiming circulation figures of 140,000 and readership of 290,000...
Book Award in the category of The Church/Pastoral Leadership). ** (with Eugene Peterson
Eugene H. Peterson
Eugene H. Peterson , is a pastor, scholar, author, and poet. He has written over thirty books, including Gold Medallion Book Award winner The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language , a contemporary translation of the Bible.-Personal life:Peterson was born in East Stanwood, Washington and grew...
, author of The Message
The Message (Bible)
The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language was created by Eugene H. Peterson and published in segments from 1993 to 2002. It is an idiomatic translation of the original languages of the Bible.-History:...
)