Liturgical Mysticism

by David W. Fagerberg

Some think that liturgy is formal, public, and for ordinary people, while mysticism is uncontrollable, private, and for extraordinary saints. Is there a connection between the two? In this volume, David Fagerberg proposes that mysticism is the normal crowning of the Christian life, and the Christian life is liturgical. We intuitively sense that liturgy and theology and mysticism have an affinity. Liturgical theology should reveal liturgy's mystical heart. Liturgical theology asks "What happens in liturgy?" and liturgical mysticism asks "What happens to us in liturgy?", and perfects our interior liturgy. In Liturgical Mysticism , Fagerberg directs the reader to look fixedly at Christ, who is the Mystery present in liturgy, and who bestows his resurrection power upon his adopted children. "In a time where both too wild and too mild spiritualities abound, it is audacious to put forward a book on liturgical mysticism. [This book] continues to enrich liturgical theology by amplifying its horizon and solidifying the foundation on which it rests."
—Joris Geldhof, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Genres: Theology

200 pages, Hardcover

Published August 1, 2019

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.

Reviews

[Othy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating topic that is not perfectly treated in this book. On the whole, Fagerberg's argument that the liturgy is mystical and mysticism is liturgical is just fine. He takes a lot of words to do this, however, so that each chapter is ten to fifteen pages longer than it needs to be. Fagerberg repeats his arguments, quotes other authors and saints who say similar things, then swings back around to say them again. It makes for some tiring reading, because he doesn't say much, even when some of the things he says are compelling.

The book is also unabashedly Roman Catholic - which isn't a failing in itself. I'm an Episcopalian with many similar thoughts on the Eucharist, but there are many times in the book when I skimmed past long discourses on obedience and ecclesiology. Again, that's his prerogative, but it causes him to be blind to some other ways of thinking and solutions to some of the predicaments he encounters. In particular, limiting certain mystical experiences to those within the Catholic Church (or those closely aligned with Catholicism like CS Lewis) leaves him with a slightly myopic view of God's work.

[Fr Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

As opposed to extraordinary mystical phenomena, the ordinary mystical life is not only open to, but ought to be the ordinary course of the life of, every baptized Christian. It is in the liturgy that we taste the life of heaven. "The mystical life of believers is their immersion and assimilation into the mystery that Christ accomplished and that we continue to encounter in the liturgical cult."

Not always well organized or clearly argued, but a book with some incredible content nonetheless.

[Maximilian Nightingale · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very easy to read reflection on what the author calls liturgical mysticism. My biggest criticism would be that the text did not seem particularly organized or planned out. Though it collects a lot of interesting and beautiful thoughts, it just wasn't as orderly as I would hope from a text. Nonetheless, a lot of great thoughts. I especially appreciate that he works out of Garrigou-Lagrange's understanding that it is (or should be) normal for Christians to receive infused contemplation.

[Robert Cowlishaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pushing the head into the heart

I have always been guided by the desert fathers...their ways were mysterious and I sought to emulate their example. Liturgical Mysticism has taught me that this mysticism is found not in the desert but in my heart and my local church. I feel lifted up!