Holy Things: A Liturgical Theology

by Gordon W. Lathrop

New in paperback!Cyril of Jerusalem wrote about "holy things." He thereby reflected the communion invitation used in his fourth-century liturgy to call people to "taste and see that the Lord is good" (Mystagogical Catecheses) . The present times call for strong and healthy symbols that hold people into hope. The Christian communities need a reintroduction into the ways in which liturgical symbols respond to human need. Indeed, Lathrop argues, Christian communities continually need to reconsider the meaning of their liturgies and reform those liturgies toward authentic clarity. In its three parts, this book (1) proposes that an ecumenical pattern or ordo of worship can be discerned which is also a pattern of meaning, (2) discusses the ways in which meaning occurs in the meeting for worship itself, and (3) draws practical conclusions about the organization of that meeting and its importance to current human need. Throughout, Lathrop undertakes to do theology, that is, to say what the liturgy actually says about God.

Genres: Theology, Religion, Nonfiction

236 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1993

About the author

Gordon W. Lathrop is a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and a retired professor of liturgy. Born in 1939 and educated in Los Angeles, CA (Occidental College), St. Paul, MN (Luther Seminary), and Nijmegen, the Netherlands (the Catholic University of Nijmegen), from 1969-1984 he was parish pastor in Darlington, WI, campus pastor at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA, and seminary chaplain at Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, IA. After teaching at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia from 1984 until 2004, he was named Professor of Liturgy Emeritus there. From 2006-2012 he was Visiting Professor of Liturgical Studies in Yale Divinity School and the Institute of Sacred Music. In recent years he has taught courses at the St. Thomas Aquinas University in Rome, the University of Copenhagen in Denmark., and here at the Virginia Theological Seminary. He is the author of several books, including Holy Things: A Liturgical Theology (Fortress 1993), Holy People: A Liturgical Ecclesiology (Fortress 1999), Holy Ground: A Liturgical Cosmology (Fortress 2003), The Pastor: A Spirituality (Fortress 2006), and The Four Gospels on Sunday: The New Testament and the Reform of Christian Worship (Fortress 2012). In 1985 he was the President of the North American Academy of Liturgy. In 1994, 1995 and 1997, he was a participant in international Faith and Order meetings on Worship and Christian Unity. In 2011 he received an honorary doctorate in theology from the University of Helsinki, Finland. From 2011 until 2013 he was President of Societas Liturgica, the international society of scholars in liturgy. He lives now in Arlington, VA, with his wife. Their children and grandchildren live all over the United States.

He continues to write and teach. His research interests are especially focussed on Bible and liturgy, liturgical theology, and liturgy and ecumenism.

Reviews

[ashley mcqueen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was tough for me. The end was redeeming, but I had a really hard time grasping the author's arguments.

[Lilly Pittman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Begrudgingly, I raised my two star opinion to three stars after reading the last two chapters. The last two chapters redeem what would otherwise be a redundant, wordy, and sexist book that uses the terms "ordo" and "juxtaposition" ad nauseum and without definition until the end of the book.

Now that's off my chest, I want to acknowledge that at the time I read this book, it is over 25 years old, and much has changed in that time for women in the church. And Lathrop does have some good points about the liturgy of the Eucharist having corresponding, and perhaps even opposing elements and the way those are broken to better invite us into relationship with God.

Long story short, the book was okay, but it would have been better said in an article. Oh, and if you're wondering, the thesis statement is in the final chapter.

[Ella Hudspath · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book! It hold so much value for those leading in our local church gatherings today.

[Don · Rating 2 out of 5]

Talbot Course: Theology of Worship

This is a book on Liturgy. As much as I love liturgy, this is a very dry read.

[Gregory · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poetic theology, but too liberal.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Profound yet readable.

[Stephanie Lape · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE this stuff!

[Thomas]

I need search more information for my study..
please i can the read this book