Robb Redman. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2002. 272 pp. $19.95 www.josseybass.com
Robb Redman, a Presbyterian pastor who has been a consulting editor for Worship Leader magazine and has also worked for Maranatha! Music, provides a balanced perspective within the contemporary worship context that is worth listening to. The book will be useful to those who wish to understand the historical, cultural, and sociological background to various (and sometimes conflicting) approaches to worship. Redman begins with a background look at four underlying currents: the seeker service, the praise and worship movement, the contemporary music industry, and the liturgical renewal movement. He then considers how our multiethnic communities, global awareness, generational differences, and postmodern context have influenced our worship practices, and concludes with some practical suggestions for worship renewal.