What was the early church's attitude toward dancing?

Answer 1

EARLY CHURCH: FIRST CENTURY -New Testament

In the Bible, the Gospels and the other books of the New Testament record the wealth of guidance and counsel that was given to the early church, dealing with all sorts of important aspects of Christian life.

Jesus Christ, foremost in providing moral direction to the early church, made several references to dancing.

For example, in his parable of the prodigal son, and after speaking about the father of the son, Jesus relates, "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing." Luke 15:25, NIV.

In this verse the Greek word for dancing suggests a group of dancers hired to entertain guests at a wedding.

However, in this parable, Jesus expresses no viewpoint on the matter of dancing; he simply mentions this customary practice as part of the scenario for his parable which focuses, not on dancing but on issues in connection with the return of the repentant prodigal son to his father's household.

In Matthew 11:16,17 Jesus also makes reference to dancing; this time he refers to the fact that children like to play and dance. Here they are playing 'weddings and funerals', and are complaining that others are (a) not dancing when the flute is playing, or (b) not wailing in grief when the other children are doing so. In other words this parable is about the fickleness of people's opinions, moods and fashions.

So Jesus, although he mentioned the custom of dancing in this parable, again makes no specific judgmental comment on this traditional activity.

The Acts of the Apostles and all the other books of the New Testament similarly does not single out or mention 'dancing' when providing counsel and guidance regarding Christian living.

RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE OF THE EARLY CHURCH: Old Testament

Interestingly, Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 says "There is a time for everything, ... a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,"

This activity of dancing is evidenced by explicit biblical references to dancing at Jewish weddings (as mentioned above) and during festivals and on other occasions e.g. Exodus 15:29,21; Judges 21:21; 2 Samuel 6:14; Jeremiah 31:4; Psalm 149:3; 150:4; Canticles 6:13.

EARLY CHURCH: AFTER THE FIRST CENTURY

In the years and centuries after the death of Jesus and the apostles a number of 'church fathers' have expressed views on dancing.

For example, Clement of Alexandria, about 195 AD, said that the Old Testament references to praising 'with the timbrel and the dance' actually refer to 'the church meditating on the resurrection of the dead in the resounding skin.'

Cyprian (Bishop of Carthage, third century) on the other hand, makes a clear distinction between (i) dancing and joyful skipping about done on appropriate occasions by believers, as mentioned in the Bible, expressing wholesome joy, exultation and exuberance, and (ii) dancing by 'twisting limbs about in obscene movements,' i.e. a style of dancing that seems to be more associated with pagan fertility rites than with the simple joys of rhythmic movement as expressed in innocent yet pleasurable dance.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

There are a variety of 'early church' viewpoints on dancing, particularly after the first century. But if we want to know what the earliest position of the church was on this matter, then the first century (and earlier) Bible references cited above may be useful starting points.

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