This major work on the study liturgy is addressed to a period of liturgical change and is designed for readership throughout the English-speaking world. It concentrates on the central rites of the Christian Church: Initiation, the Eucharist, Ordination, and the Divine Office. Each rite is presented under five main historical divisions: New Testament, patristic, medieval, reformation and counter-reformation, and contemporary. The historical account is preceded by a general introduction in the form of a series of background notes on subjects which recur in the story of the individual rites. There are sections on the Calendar and on the Setting of the Liturgy, and these are amplified by a fine set of illustrations. Part One of the book is an essay on the theology of worship, and Part Three is concerned with the pastoral aspects of liturgy.
The three editors represent the Anglican, Roman Catholic, and Free Church traditions. The Orthodox tradition also is represented in the team of twenty-two contributors, who include many of today’s best-known liturgical scholars. Account has been taken of the most recent liturgical revision up to the time of publication.