Why do we need the Mass?: Asceticism, Sanctification, and the Glory of God

by David W. Fagerberg

What is the purpose of liturgy? We will never find out if we only focus on what good we get out of it. The tradition has said liturgy has a twofold purpose: the glorification of God and the sanctification of man. This book considers how these two ends are related. If asceticism can correct our egocentricity, then we would see that our sanctification glorifies God.
Liturgy in recent years has returned at the center of attention, thanks to the Pontificate of Benedict XVI. This is why it is a great moment to witness the release of a new book from Professor David W. Fagerberg, a world famous expert on this topic. This is an important book for the Catholic understanding of the Mass and of the role of the liturgy in the world today. It is not intended to be a deep investigation of the topic, but the content will certainly be relevant for Catholics everywhere. The experience of Professor Fagerberg in this field is a guarantee that this book will not leave the readers unsatisfied.

Contents

A thesis and a reflection
Three quick examples
How these two purposes relate: teleology
So what’s the problem?
Two problems in our desiring
The technology of a new self
An ascetic for the rest of us
Finding a true name
Finding a true desire
Our prototype
Sanctifying cult as worship
Conclusion
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David W. Fagerberg is Professor in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. He holds masters degrees from Luther Northwestern Seminary, St. John's University (Collegeville), Yale Divinity School, and Yale University. His Ph.D. is from Yale University in liturgical theology.His work has explored how the Church’s lex credendi (law of belief) is founded upon the Church’s lex orandi (law of prayer). This was expressed in Theologia Prima (Hillenbrand Books, 2003). Of late, he has integrated into this the Eastern Orthodox understanding of asceticism by considering its role in preparing the liturgical person. This was treated in On Liturgical Asceticism (Catholic University Press, 2013). And he has an avocation in G. K. Chesterton, having published Chesterton is Everywhere (Emmaus Press, 2013) and The Size of Chesterton’s Catholicism (University of Notre Dame, 1998). Appearing this spring from Angelico Press will be a book on consecrating our daily life in the world, titled Consecrating the world: On Mundane Liturgical Theology.

Genres: Catholic

40 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 24, 2016

About the author

David Fagerberg holds a B.A. from Augsburg College (1972), M.Div. from Luther Northwestern Seminary (1977), M.A. from St. John’s University, Collegeville (1982), S.T.M. from Yale Divinity School (1983), and M.A., M.Phil., and PhD. from Yale University (1991). He taught in the Religion Department of Concordia College, Moorhead, MN, from 1988-2001; the Liturgical Institute at Mundelein Seminary 2002-03; he has been at Notre Dame since 2003. His area of study is liturgical theology – its definition and methodology – and how the Church’s lex orandi (law of prayer) is the foundation for her lex credendi (law of belief). He also has interests in sacramental theology, Eastern Orthodoxy, linguistic philosophy, scholasticism, G. K. Chesterton and C.S. Lewis.