Is church just a place to think about God—or are we wired to worship together? In this groundbreaking episode, theologian Dr. Josh Cockayne and developmental psychologist Dr. Gideon Salter join Dru Johnson to explore how human beings are made for joint attention, and why gathering for worship is a deeply embodied, social necessity.
Drawing from their book Why We Gather, the conversation unfolds how infants develop the skill of “joint attention”—the ability to notice something with someone else—and how this same capacity is essential to biblical worship, from Genesis to Revelation. They argue that worship isn’t merely cognitive or emotional—it’s communal, embodied, and neurologically formative. Togetherness isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s the foundation of how we know God and the world.
From communion rituals and infant behavior to liturgical design and online church, the episode provides a practical, psychologically grounded, and theologically rich vision of church that challenges both individualism and shallow expressions of “community.”
For their book "Why We Gather," see the publisher's website here:
https://www.baylorpress.com/9781481322911/why-we-gather/
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Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Worship and Individual Experience 02:59 The Role of the Body in Worship 06:02 Joint Attention and Its Importance 09:20 The Collaboration Between Psychology and Theology 12:12 Understanding Joint Attention in Worship 15:17 The Impact of Joint Attention on Community Worship 18:05 Liturgy and Joint Attention in Practice 21:09 Theological Implications of Joint Attention 24:04 Cultural Jointness and Worship 27:06 Conclusion and Reflections on Worship 27:42 Children's Participation in Church 28:42 Exploring Joint Attention in Liturgical Settings 30:57 The Role of Community in Worship 32:36 Understanding Jointness and Joint Attention 35:12 The Dynamics of Participation in Worship 36:18 Theological Perspectives on Joint Attention 38:12 The Biological and Social Aspects of Gathering 41:44 Critiques of Theoretical Frameworks in Worship
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