In his book One True God: Historical Consequences of Monotheism (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2001), sociologist Rodney Stark argues that there are at least two sociological conditions under which monotheistic faiths have been particularly strong. These conditions are times of persecution and of adherence to the rituals of public worship.
"Strength" here refers strongly to maintaining traditions, beliefs, and practices and locking those attributes into the next generation.
His first example is the the sociological power of the rituals of public worship.
It creates solidarity amongst the community of the faith. In theological and Christian terms we would say the rituals of public worship are a means of grace, appointed by God, to work redemption powerfully amongst His people. But the reverse is also true: where worship and its rituals are man made or reflect false beliefs they become powerful in consigning people to darkness, and eventually the outer darkness.
According to Stark,
People do not remain loyal to a particular religion primarily because of the appeal of specific doctrines. Rather, they find these doctrines appealing because they share them with an intimate network of believers. Religious persistence is a group phenomenon, because religion itself, especially monotheism, is a group affair. (Ibid, p. 177).In other words, public worship and its rituals do not necessarily make the doctrines true, but they make them powerful and more compelling to the heart and soul.
Stark again:
Quite simply, and individual's confidence in religious explanations concerning otherworldly rewards is strengthened to the extent that others express their confidence in them. . . . Throughout our lives we rely on the wisdom and experience of others to help us make good choices. . . . Testimonials are especially effective when they come from a trusted source. thus friends are more persuasive than acquaintances, and the testimonials even of acquaintances are more persuasive than those of strangers. . . . When a group of Muslim men gather for prayer, form lines facing Mecca, and press their foreheads to the ground, each is reinforced by the actions of the others. (Ibid., pp. 178, 183).The reinforcing effect of public worship and a community believing together should be nothing strange. Clearly this is how God created the world and human society to be. After all, in secular affairs every matter is confirmed by two or three witnesses: how much more in matters of faith and religion.
Participation in public rituals and worship not only builds religious convictions, it helps bring about group solidarity. The believing community is strengthened as a community; solid and strong communities tend to be self-reliant and culturally powerful. Stark draws an analogy with military drill and training:
It is well known that it requires months of constant drill and practice maneuvers to produce reliable and effective military units. Drill not only accustoms troops to acting together in immediate response to orders; more important, if affords the circumstances for linking the individual soldiers to one another by strong bonds of trust and friendship. It is these bonds, not idealism, what enable soldiers to face death--the role of idealism is to shape the expectations they impose in judging one another. In his masterpiece on military command, S.L.A. Marshall noted that because fear affects everyone in battle, training should be designed to foster friendship among the ranks: "When a soldier is unknown to the men who are around him, he . . . has relatively little reason to fear losing the one thing he is likely to value more highly than life--his reputation as a man among other men." Marshall went on to point out that "it is the man who . . . is well known to his fellows" who will stand fast."What Stark implies--and indeed what is taught in Holy Scripture--is that a people that worships together regularly will be a strong abiding believing community. When people believe the truth--that is, the Holy Spirit has opened their hearts and minds to the Living God--the solidifying effect of public worship is even more powerful to deepen religious commitments, solidarity and courageous persistence in the face of opposition.
Participation in religious rituals is a form of drill that is well suited to foster strong bonds. . . . (P)articipation in religious "drills" may not be needed to sustain uncontested faiths. But they are vital for the persistence of embattled minorities." (Ibid., p. 183f)
One reason why, in the West, the Church is so attenuated and ineffective, lacking authority and spiritual influence and control over its members, is because public worship and its rituals have become relatively unimportant as worship. For many professing Christians, public worship is optional: it can be taken or left. For many evangelical (and even, now, Reformed) congregations public worship has utility as an exercise in evangelism--reaching the lost. It is deemed useful for contacting unbelievers and bringing them into the fold. Under such a rubric, public worship rapidly devolves into public entertainment and primarily a social occasion in the course of which we would introduce a bit of religion. Thus music is performance music: "worship leaders" perform for the congregation. The idiom of music is what one might hear at the local pub or club--because "that's what people want". The lyrics are those of "love songs" toward Jesus. "Seeker friendly" congregations ultimately become corporately weak. They lose solidarity, unity, and loyalty. As they say, the back door becomes as big as the front door, with as many people leaving as coming. Folk drift off in search of the next coming "religious night club" where the band is better. Or they seek entertainment from a "dynamic personality", where there is a personality-cult-type leader. Eventually they, or their children, stop going entirely.
We generalize, but the reason the Christian faith and Christendom is so culturally anaemic and impotent in our day is because it has become anaemic and impotent amongst its own adherents. A central reason for the loss of strong loyalty and faith amongst modern Christians is because churches and congregations no longer worship, using the biblical rituals and liturgies. Churches perform and entertain; the gathered folk want be performed for and entertained.
True Reformation, when it comes will, first of all, be seen in the reformation of public worship.
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