The Roman Mass: From Early Christian Origins to Tridentine Reform

by Uwe Michael Lang

This volume offers a new, synthetic overview of the structure and ritual shape of the Roman Mass from its formative period in late antiquity to its post-Tridentine standarisation. Starting with the Last Supper and the origins of the Eucharist, Uwe Michael Lang constructs a narrative that explores the intense religious, social, and cultural transformations that shaped the Roman Mass. Lang unites classical liturgical history with insights from a variety of other disciplines that have drawn attention to the ritual performance and reception of the mass. He also presents liturgical developments within the broader historical and theological contexts that affected the celebration and experience of the sacramental rite that is still at the heart of Catholic Christianity. Aimed at scholars from a broad swathe of subjects, including religious studies, history, art history, literature, and music, Lang's volume serves as a comprehensive history of the Roman Mass over the course of a millenium.

Genres: Theology, Religion

456 pages, Hardcover

Published December 15, 2022

About the author

Fr. Uwe Michael Lang, a native of Germany, is a priest of the Congregation of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in London. He holds a Mag. Theol. in Catholic theology from the University of Vienna and a D.Phil. in theology from the University of Oxford. Fr. Lang is a staff member of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, a Consultor to the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff and Academic Coordinator of the Master program in “Architecture, Sacred Art and Liturgy” at the Università Europea di Roma. Turning towards the Lord has been published in several languages, including German, Italian, French, and Spanish. Recently, Fr. Lang has edited the volume Die Anaphora von Addai und Mari: Studien zu Eucharistie und Einsetzungsworten (2007).

Reviews

[Pater Edmund · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lang's book is the best history of the Roman Rite. It should replace Josef Jungmann’s Missarum Sollemnia. It incorporates the best recent scholarship, and also corrects some of the prejudices of Jungmann and his generation of liturgical scholars, showing how each phase of the Roman Rite's development made contributions to the riches of the Sacred Liturgy.

[Alex Charow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible book, without a doubt the new standard treatment of its subject in English.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

With this piece of liturgical history, Lang traces the development of the Roman Mass from its beginnings in the early church up to the Tridentine Reform. As one might suspect, it can be a tedious read at points as Lang gives detailed attention to the niceties of Catholic liturgy. So, while this monograph may not appeal to all students of church history, Lang's treatment gives the reader the sense of the logic and pedigree (or the claims thereto) of the Roman Mass. This alone makes it worth reading for any serious of Catholic theology and liturgy.

[Fr Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fr Lang gives us a detailed and balanced introduction to the history of the Roman Mass from its beginnings through the post-Tridentine period. He helps to overcome some of the black legends of the Roman liturgy popular during the Protestant Revolt and the twentieth-century liturgical reform.