James Tiefel

A list of satellite courses offered by Prof. James Tiefel:

The Liturgical Rite in WELS
The courses traces the fascinating story of worship in WELS from Muehlhaeuser's non-liturgical dictum, "Never shall the liturgy of the old Lutheran Church be used in this congregation" through the publication of Christian Worship Supplement (2008) and and the highly liturgical worship conferences of the last decade. The antecedents of contemporary WELS thought on the subject of worship are clearly visible in this story. Both past and present help us understand our own attitudes and offer guidelines as we chart our future.

SQ course: 15 hours

Planning the Worship Space
This course enables participants to gain an overview of ecclesiastical spaces in which Christians have gathered for public worship since the early New Testament era. Moving from the design of the tabernacle/temple, past the Gothic and Gothic revival eras, to the concepts that grew out of the liturgical movement (demonstrated in the seminary chapel renovation), this course will help pastors gain principles for church design that can serve in a building or remodeling project. Financing the worship space is a component of the course. In a Summer Quarter rendition of this course, a “church walk” through significant local churches will be planned.

SQ course: 15 hours
PI course: 4 - 6 hours

The Ministry and Music of Johann Sebastian Bach
This course leads participants to gain a greater understanding not only of the most famous of all Lutheran church musicians but also the way in which confessional Lutheran pastors and musicians have thought about music in worship. The story of Bach begins with Luther, but it doesn’t end with Bach’s death in Leipzig in 1750. A significant amount of class time is set aside for listening and viewing performances of Bach’s music.

SQ course: 15 hours

Principles of Christian Worship
This is a summary of course material offered to students at WLS that establishes the biblical and confessional principles on which the Lutheran Church carries out its public worship. Although specicifcally designed for pastors, these presentations cover the same material presented at the Commission on Worship’s Schools of Worship Enrichment.

PI course: 4-6 hours

Planning Christian Worship
This practical course assists pastors in short-range and long-range planning, reviews the roles and contributions of parish musicians and worship administrators, and identifies resources not only from the Christian Worship family of materials but from other sources as well.

SQ course: 15 hours
PI course: 4-6 hours