Feature
1 Sep 2025
“Let them praise his name with dancing… Praise him with tambourine and dance…” (Ps. 149:3; 150:4).
These verses explicitly support dancing as a spiritual devotion. Nonetheless, some Christian authorities, both past and present, worry that bodily movements during worship can divert attention from God or potentially encourage immoral conduct among church members. However, regardless of ongoing or historical disagreements, dance continues to be a significant and biblically endorsed approach to physical worship that can deepen the spiritual experiences of the faithful.
Biblical Roots of Dance in Worship
The Bible portrays dance as central to worship, symbolising joy, victory, and reverence. Miriam danced after the Red Sea crossing (Exod. 15:20), and David celebrated the Ark’s arrival in Jerusalem (2 Sam. 6:14), demonstrating dance as a response to God’s mighty acts. The psalms endorse physical praise through jumping, twirling, and clapping (Ps. 149:3; 150:4). The return of exiled Israelites is also marked by dance: “You shall take up your tambourines and go forth in the dance of the merrymakers” (Jer. 31:4).
In early Christianity, dance was incorporated from Jewish traditions, particularly during Easter and Christmas. However, as Christianity distanced itself from pagan practices, dance faced increasing suspicion, leading to its decline in formal worship.
Historical Conflicts: Dance in Church Traditions
Early church leaders often viewed dancing with scepticism, associating it with non-Christian rituals and moral decline. Tertullian argued that the human body, prone to sin, might enact immoral behaviour if heavily involved in worship. This view conflicted with his teaching on Christ’s incarnation, which revered the human form as a vessel of divine presence. Augustine, influenced by the pagan practices of his era, also criticised dance, linking it to idolatry and spiritual degradation. During the Reformation, the controversy persisted. John Calvin banned dance in worship, deeming it an outdated Old Testament practice irrelevant under the new covenant. In contrast, Martin Luther supported a celebratory worship style, including physical expressions such as singing and movement to showcase joy, gratitude, and unity.
These historical debates illustrate the complex relationship between dance and worship. They contribute to a deeper theological understanding of the body’s sacred role in expressing devotion.
Embodied Worship: Theological Foundations
The resistance to incorporating dance in worship stems from the perception that the body should be a passive participant in spiritual practices, as highlighted by Jay Rochelle in her article “The Contemplative Ground of Craft”. She writes, “dance in church still seems offensive to many, not only because of the focus of the human body but because of the active nature of that body as an instrument of worship. Our sense of the passive, even quietistic, uses of the body as a receptor may block us from seeing the body active in offering, thanksgiving, and praise.”
Unlike traditions that consider active physical participation in worship as disrespectful, preferring silence or stillness, a holistic approach values the body as essential in enhancing spiritual experiences. Physical expression can serve as a channel for adoration, petition, and gratitude during worship services.
Even Calvin, despite his cautious stance, acknowledged that actions such as kneeling and raising hands could outwardly demonstrate inner reverence. Similarly, Luther endorses the use of the body to express joyful celebration. These views collectively suggest that physical expressions of faith can reflect and strengthen one’s internal spiritual state.
Sacramental Expression Through Dance
The incarnation, wherein “the Word became flesh” (John 1:14), further underscores the body’s importance in worship. By taking on a human body, Jesus Christ sanctified the body, demonstrating the significance and sacredness of physical acts of devotion. As an embodied act of worship, dance exemplifies this incarnational truth by uniting the physical and spiritual dimensions of faith.
Sacramentality provides a framework to understand dance in worship, emphasising the incarnation concept. James F. White (The Sacraments in Protestant Practice and Faith, p. 13) states that sacramentality allows “the external and visible to transmit the internal and spiritual,” using physical elements and actions as channels for divine presence. Just as baptism and Eucharist use water, bread, and wine to signify and mediate inner grace, dance can physically express divine truths. Consequently, dance reveals divine grace, with worshippers’ movements symbolising inner devotion and expressing praise, gratitude, and petition. This view integrates dance into sacramental worship, in which the body engages with divine mystery.
Dance as Participation in Creation’s Praise
David O. Taylor’s book, “Glimpses of the New Creation: Worship and the Formative Power of the Arts,” highlights the significance of the human body as a divine gift shaped in God’s image, meant to manifest His grace. Taylor argues that physical forms of worship, particularly dance, are not only acceptable but also essential.
Through dance, worshippers can reflect on the marvels of creation and fully participate in God’s creative and redemptive work. This perspective is reinforced by biblical imagery depicting nature itself praising God, such as rivers applauding, mountains rejoicing, and angels bowing in adoration. Human dance becomes part of this universal chorus, uniting all of creation in worship of the Creator. Whether improvised or planned, dance serves as a powerful embodiment of theology, expressing reverence and aligning the worshipper with God’s purpose.
A Call to Holistic Worship
Despite historical and contemporary scepticism, the theological foundation for incorporating dance into worship remains robust. Worship, encompassing love for God with heart, mind, soul, and strength, should intellectually, emotionally, and physically engage worshippers. Dance provides a compelling means to honour God physically, facilitating spiritual dedication through bodily actions.
Practices such as prostration and rhythmic movements prepare the worshippers for profound divine encounters. Rom. 12:1 emphasises the offering of our bodies as living sacrifices, highlighting the significance of physical expression in spiritual life. Integrating movement into worship allows Christians to embody God’s compassion and love, offering praise through their entire being. Rhythmic motion enhances worship by connecting believers with God and reflecting its dynamic, all-encompassing nature as depicted in Scripture.
As a form of worship, dance is grounded in biblical texts and body theology. Despite historical resistance, its scriptural basis and sacramental potential encourage its adoption as a devotional practice harmonising mind, spirit, and body. Serving as a physical manifestation of divine presence, dance guides worshippers toward a deeper connection with their Creator and a universal expression of adoration. Churches might address historical reservations and theological endorsements by cultivating practices that honour biblical precedents and the sacramental significance of physical worship, overcoming scepticism with affirmation, and honouring the legacy of embodied devotion.
