Using the unique circumstances and opportunities available to historic St. Martin-in-the-Fields at Trafalgar Square in London, renowned vicar Sam Wells and members of the church staff offer insights about the intersections between liturgy and outreach. Exploring questions of both formal and informal engagement with liturgy, prayer book revision, and practical how-tos for acute congregational needs, urban parishes around the world will find inspiration and resources within these pages. Written by the staff and dedicated lay members of the St. Martin’s community, the book is an invitation to us all to be more inclusive and compassionate when planning worship and other services. Topics of interest include pastoral care for those affected by crime and homelessness, great sacred music, laying-on-of-hands, podcasting/webcasting, and holiday observances that extend love and service to all neighbors across denominations and walks of life.

Explores the cultural connection between Syrian Jewish life and Arab culture in present-day Brooklyn, New York, through liturgical music.

By its very nature, hermeneutics?the art or science of interpreting?is interdisciplinary. It is equally important for scholars of literature, philosophy, biblical texts, and theology. In spite of the fact that interpretation has long been an important concern for Scripture exegetes and that in recent years liturgists have paid increasing attention to methods, there is no major work that specifically addresses the issues of hermeneutics for liturgy. Liturgy and Hermeneutics fills that void. In Liturgy and Hermeneutics Joyce Ann Zimmerman explains that all communication requires some interpretation, even everyday conversations in which we are hardly aware of it. But a great deal of communication is far more complex. Anytime we try to describe such things as an idea, a concept, or an experience, we are well beyond ordinary language use and into the realm of language as a symbol system. Since symbols have both a literal meaning and another level of meaning available only through interpretation, much of our communication is hermeneutical. Liturgy is no exception; it too is hermeneutical. In the past everything about liturgy seemed clear and understandable, and the rituals were denotative. However, Zimmerman argues, that lack of interpretation may have deprived worshipers of the richness proper to liturgy. A non-interpretive approach to liturgy tends to reduce it to rubrics or received grace. We must likewise be wary of an interpretation of liturgy that is too subjective. Only authentic interpretation examines liturgy's richness while remaining faithful to its tradition, doctrinal content, and ritual expressions. In Liturgy and Hermeneutics Zimmerman specifically addresses hermeneutics and its use in liturgy and liturgical studies. Her purpose is twofold: (1) to introduce readers to a complex body of literature so they can become literate in a technical field; and (2) to guide readers through the complex issues and strategies involved in interpreting liturgy (as text, as ritual, as life). Zimmerman does not promote a single hermeneutic approach, but instead points out the advantages and disadvantages of various approaches. Chapters are "What's at Stake?" ?Overview of Hermeneutical Theory and Issues, ? ?Critical Methods, ? ?Post-critical Methods, ? ?Hermeneutics and Liturgical Studies Today, ? and an epilogue that raises questions yet to be comprehensively addressed by liturgists.

A classic and accessible guide in the field of Episcopal liturgy. Originally published in 1979, Liturgy for Living remains a time-tested classic exploration of history, theology, and spirituality that shapes Anglican liturgy and specifically The Book of Common Prayer. Writing for all Episcopalians—pastors, seminarians, and laity—Professor Charles Price and Louise Weil uncover the riches of various liturgy, including Holy Baptism, Confirmation, the Daily Office, the Holy Eucharist, and the various pastoral offices. This edition contains an extensive and updated bibliography, a glossary of liturgical terms, and a list of internet website addresses that contain documents, further bibliographic information, and links to other websites—all related to liturgical studies. “The worship of the Christian community, properly understood and done, leads worshipers to act out in their lives the love of God, which is at the heart of our worship. Worship also provides the power and the sustenance which makes this style of living possible. This Christian style of living, moreover, drives those who are committed to it back to the worship of God, to find forgiveness and strength...When this interdependent relationship is understood, the power of worship is illuminated and the power to live increased.”—From the Preface

In the decades following the Second Vatican Council, Catholic liturgy became an area of considerable interest and debate, if not controversy, in the West. Mid-late 20th century liturgical scholarship, upon which the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council were predicated and implemented, no longer stands unquestioned. The liturgical and ecclesial springtime the reforms of Paul VI were expected to facilitate has failed to emerge, leaving many questions as to their wisdom and value. Quo vadis Catholic liturgy? This Companion brings together a variety of scholars who consider this question at the beginning of the 21st century in the light of advances in liturgical scholarship, decades of post-Vatican II experience and the critical re-examination in the West of the question of the liturgy promoted by Benedict XVI. The contributors, each eminent in their field, have distinct takes on how to answer this question, but each makes a significant contribution to contemporary debate, making this Companion an essential reference for the study of Western Catholic liturgy in history and in the light of contemporary scholarship and debate.

Menahem Schmelzer, widely recognized for his expertise in Jewish manuscripts and piyyut, has also influenced Jewish liturgical research of the past half century. This collection of sixteen academic studies, by Israeli, European, and American scholars, honors Schmelzer's contribution. The contributors represent three generations, and their topics and methods testify to the vast subject area that Jewish liturgy has become. The articles explore a wide variety of texts and ritual occasions, the relationship between text and worship experience, and implications for related areas such as mysticism; most apply the methods of other subject areas such as liguistics to liturgical study and its implications for related fields. "...this volume, as a whole, is as much a testimony to the enduring centrality of the librarian in scholarship as it is a collection of essays on "the experience of Jewish liturgy." Wide ranging in scope, these essays are an accurate snapshot of the state of research, illustrating the wealth of material awaiting publication, the need for revisiting prior assumptions, and also the limits of our scholarship." Yoel Kahn, Congregation Beth El, Berkeley