This dissertation explores the liturgical work and influences of Methodist theologian Georgia Harkness in the broader context of mainline American Christianity and theological liberalism of the twentieth century. Through an examination of Harkness’s writing about worship as well as the resources she produced for worship, the thesis argues that her often overlooked liturgical work was central to her self-understanding as an applied theologian and shaped her theological interests and evolution throughout her career. This study begins by showing the centrality of prayer and worship in the personal and professional biography of Harkness. Through analysis of her many articles and sections of books on prayer and public worship, it leads to an assessment of Harkness’s own growing commitment to the liturgical life of the church and demonstrates how a self-described “evangelical liberal” built on her personalist foundations to help modern Christians reclaim the church’s liturgical tradition within new theological constructs. Further, by examining the prayers, worship services, and hymns that Harkness planned and wrote, the dissertation helps to explain how her theological understanding of worship and prayer was made manifest in the liturgical resources she created. This study also argues that Harkness’s growing commitment to the liturgical life of the church played a key role in her own theological evolution. Through her own immersion in worship and prayer, Harkness’s work became more theological, her theology became more Christocentric, and her ecclesiology deepened and developed a global and ecumenical conscience. As she delved deeper into the liturgical life of the church, she began drawing connections between liturgy, theology, and ethics, which presaged a central topic of modern-day liturgical studies. Finally, the dissertation claims that her work as an applied theologian at the intersection of various disciplines and communities makes her an excellent model for modern-day practical theology. This research and assessment contributes to existing scholarship by reclaiming an often-overlooked part of Georgia Harkness’s legacy. More broadly, it helps dispel the myth that theological liberalism was not interested in worship or devotion and gives a more nuanced understanding of the theological and liturgical landscape of mid-twentieth-century mainline Protestantism. / 2020-06-21T00:00:00Z

This first history of the western liturgy, was written c.842 by Walahfrid Strabo, a cleric from southern Germany. It was probably written to be used in the monastery on the island of Reichenau on Lake Constance (where Walahfrid was abbot from 838-849) as a teaching text for priests who would minister to rural parishes. Often cited but never studied in depth, this is the first translation of the entire text. In the commentary I have attempted to demonstrate that in the middle of the ninth century an intelligent liturgist can give us an accurate and realistic contemporary picture of ecclesiastical and liturgical matters. But unusually Walahfrid presents his material in an evolutionary perspective and with precise citations of his sources, rather in the manner of a modern historian, not in the simple expository or allegorical forms which were more typical of the period. The first part of the libellus examines various features of church buildings per se, such as altars, vocabulary for many architectural features, the use of pictures and images, and the dedication of churches. The second and longer section of De exordiis is a detailed examination of various liturgical aspects of public ceremonies conducted in both churches and monasteries. One of Walahfrid's major concerns in the second half of the libellus is to present the history of the Eucharistic liturgy, with specific references to topics such as fasting, frequency of communion, and the arrangement of the sections of the Mass; another is the origins of certain liturgical actions in baptism, an area which the Carolingians saw in a legislative context, the result of Charlemagne's educational reforms for the clergy, and the proliferation of Christianity throughout the Frankish empire; a third is the development of hymnography, the collection of chants or songs that are neither canonical psalms nor biblical canticles, but enter into the celebration of the liturgy, especially the Liturgy of the Hours (hymns, antiphons, responses, etc.). My comments put Walahfrid's remarks into the wider context of Christian literature, from early Patristic texts up to the innovatory writings of the Carolingian era when the liturgy was in a state of flux, and for monk, priest, scribe, musician, bishop and emperor participation in its development was a lively issue. The detailed examinations of Walahfrid's sources, theological, historical, legislative and literary, are crucial evidence for the transmission of texts and their availability to scholars in the mid-ninth century. I have demonstrated where Walahfrid is in error as a result of the texts he has used or lack of them, where he agrees with modern literature, and where he is the only source. Where it is liturgically relevant, Walahfrid's vocabulary is discussed with reference to both Patristic and Carolingian literature. His use of Greek and Old High German, although well worth intensive study, has not been subjected to detailed analysis in this thesis.

The forming of liturgy in the Dutch Reformed Church is in a crisis. The current context demands new liturgies in order to facilitate meaningful communication between God and His children. The problem is that no healthy practice of liturgy forming exists and more decay than change takes place. Therefore, the need exists for a workable theory for liturgy forming which can be used in the forming of a justified liturgy. In this study a theory and liturgies are worked out which takes the liturgy forming through the centuries into account. The theory, which is known as the three resources theory, is a dynamic theory in which the energy resources are placed in interaction with one another in order to form new liturgies. The three energy resources are the Bible, the tradition and the context. These three resources are focused on an eschatological focus point in the future. The Bible as energy resource especially has authority since it contains the worship style and example of Jesus Christ. The tradition exists of the narrative off liturgy forming through the centuries. The tradition offers a treasure of examples, which can be used for liturgy forming in the current context. The current context forms an integral part of the liturgy forming process. The post-modernism, the remains of the modernism, globalisation, the transformation process in South Africa and the modem developments in the human sciences are all forces which influence the liturgy forming process indirectly. These energy circles are placed in interaction with one another, new justified liturgies are formed which makes meaningful communication between God and His children possible. The investigation on liturgy forming in 13 various congregations in England and South Africa indicated that, where one or more of the energy resources is neglected, responsible energy forming does not take place. The current context requires that modem liturgy should emphasize symbols, emotion and dialogue. More love should also be shown during services. / Die liturgievorming van die Ned Geref Kerk is in 'n krisis. Die huidige konteks stel nuwe eise aan die liturgie wat vra vir nuwe liturgiee om die kommunikasie tussen God en Sy kinders sinvol en betekenisvol te fasiliteer. Die probleem is dat daar nie 'n gesonde praktyk van liturgievorming bestaan nie en dat meer verval as verandering plaasvind. Daar is dus 'n behoefte aan 'n werkbare teorie vir liturgievorming wat gebruik kan word in die vorming van verantwoorde liturgie. In hierdie studie word 'n teorie en liturgiee uitgewerk wat die werkende energiebronne in liturgievorming deur die eeue in ag neem. Die teorie, wat bekendstaan as die driebronneteorie, is 'n dinamiese teorie waarin die energiebronne in wisselwerking met mekaar geplaas word vir die vorming van nuwe liturgiee. Die drie energiebronne is die Skrif, die tradisie en die konteks. Hierdie drie bronne word gefokus op 'n eskatologiese fokuspunt in die toekoms. Die Skrif as energiebron is veral gesagdraend omdat dit die aanbiddingstyl en voorbeeld van Jesus Christus bevat. Die tradisie bestaan uit die verhaal van die liturgievorming deur die eeue waar die drie energiebronne telkens in wisselwerking met mekaar was. Die tradisie bied 'n skatkis van voorbeelde waaruit geleen kan word vir liturgievorming in die huidige konteks. Die huidige konteks is 'n integrale deel van die liturgievormingsproses. Die Postmodemisme, die reste van die Modemisme, globalisering, die oorgangsituasie in Suid-Afrika en hedendaagse ontwikkelinge in die menswetenskappe is almal kragte wat indirek inwerk op die liturgievormingsproses. Slegs wanneer die energiesirkels in wisselwerking met mekaar geplaas word, word verantwoordelik nuwe liturgiee gevorm wat sinvolle kommunikasie tussen God en sy kinders bewerkstellig. Die ondersoek na die liturgievorming in 12 verskillende gemeentes in Engeland en Suid-Afrika het aan die lig gebring dat waar een of meer van die energiebronne verwaarloos word, verantwoordelike vorming nie plaasvind nie. Die huidige konteks vra dat byderwetse liturgie meer klem op simbole, emosie en dialogiese kommunikasie sal plaas. Liturgie sal ook moeite moet doen om meer liefde oor te dra in die eredienste. Ter wille van die fasilitering van 'n dieper spiritualiteit kan die liturgie van die Ned Geref Kerk spesifieke liturgiese elemente en -houdings gaan leen by antler spiritualiteite en so sy eie liturgie verbreed. Dit bly 'n haalbare uitdaging om voortdurend verantwoordelik liturgie te vorm indien die Skrif, die tradisie en die konteks as energiebronne in wisselwerking met mekaar geraadpleeg word en gefokus word op die eskatologiese. / D.Th. (Practical Theology)

This thesis examines the role played by non-human creation in the liturgies for the feast of Holy Pascha (Easter), of the twelve major feasts of the Orthodox Church, and of the period of Great Lent. Applying to liturgical texts and practices the methodology developed by Paul Ricoeur for biblical interpretation, the thesis argues that the kind of world opened by these liturgies allows for the participation of non-human creatures in the liturgy and thus is amenable to an ecological theology. It investigates the implications of the liturgical texts for contemporary theological reflection about salvation, incarnation, sin, and theosis in light of the ecological crisis and the frequent Orthodox claim that the liturgy is ‘cosmic’ in scope. Chapter 1 looks at the role of non-human creation in the Paschal/Pentecost season and lays out the case for the need to include all of creation. Chapter 2 focuses on the feasts of the incarnation and argues for a more inclusive theological interpretation of the incarnation. Chapter 3 examines the liturgies of Lent and Holy Week and develops hamartiological implications of the ecological crisis. The final chapter focuses on the feasts of Theophany and the Transfiguration and proposes a view of theosis that extends beyond humans.

From ancient times it has been the practice of humankind to build structures in which to worship God. People built centres of various shapes and sizes in which different kinds of worship were conducted. Within the Christian Church, even though the basic concept of worship is the same, there are different doctrines and customs in different Church traditions. In this thesis I attempt to shed some light on the consecration of churches in the tradition of the Syrian Orthodox Church; this is a relatively uncharted field. It is prefaced by an overview of dedication in the early Christian period and of the Jewish liturgical traditions on which the worship was based. Next I consider some Syriac literary works, the importance of Syriac literature and liturgy, and the liturgical books of the Syrian Orthodox Church. I then describe house churches of the first centuries and their gradual development into today’s magnificent and artistic churches. An important part of my work focuses on the Holy ‘Myron’, which is an integral component used in the consecration of Syrian churches. I discuss the importance accorded to 'Myron' in the church and the different types of anointing involving Myron and other oils. The main part of the thesis focuses on the construction of a church from its very beginning until its consecration once it has been completed, referring to biblical and symbolic interpretations. This includes a detailed description of the different tools and utensils used in the Syrian Orthodox Church (some illustrated) with an explanation of their relevance and meaning. The views of the church fathers such as Aphrahat, Ephrem, Moses Bar Kepha, Dionysius Bar Salibi and Jacob of Serugh, and the references and allegories from the Acts of Thomas and the Sugitho on the Church of Edessa are also included in my work. The main sources for this study are my translations of the Vatican Borg. manuscript Syriac 57 and Paris manuscript Syriac 110. The official version of the church consecration used in the Syrian Orthodox Church is a copy of Vatican manuscript 51. The Syriac texts with translations are provided in chapter two.

Thesis advisor: Hosffman Ospino / Roughly one-third of U.S. Catholic parishes serve parishioners of multiple cultural, ethnic, and/or linguistic groups. In these “shared parishes,” the possibility and meaning of community across boundaries is an urgent question. This dissertation examines the role of ritual in the formation of community in diverse parishes. Critiquing prevailing ecclesiological models of unity in diversity that inadequately address structural sins of racism and xenophobia, I argue for an understanding of communion as a task of the local Church, embodied ritually in solidaristic practice. Then, establishing a conversation among ritual studies and U.S. Latinx discourses of border identity, I propose an understanding of the shared parish as a kind of borderland – as a place where a subjunctive communal identity can be negotiated ritually through embodied engagement. Methodologically, the dissertation is grounded in an ethnographic study conducted over five years at St. Mary of the Angels, a small, diverse parish in Boston, MA. Weaving together historical and archival data from parish, neighborhood, and archdiocese; participant-observation of bilingual Holy Week liturgies; and Spanish- and English-language interviews, the case study foregrounds the dissertation's theoretical work by analyzing how parishioners constructed rituals that facilitated the crossing of cultural, racial, and linguistic boundaries. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2018. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry.

The ritual music written for the Compline service of the Liturgy of the Hours, Into Your Hands, is analyzed using an ontological and phenomenological approach, which seeks to answer how such sound/musical phenomena wed to the specific ritual dynamics of Compline in their own right can create a potential for encounter with the Divine. The Jewish philosopher Martin Buber’s understanding of encounter is used to show that the sound/musical phenomena in itself bears similarities with the nature of the Judeo/Christian God, and such a nature is revealed to be both irreducibly non-conceptual as well as an entity that establishes the ontological actuality of one’s being. Studies in the beginnings of humanity at large as well as the beginnings of the individual fetus reveal that an integrated expression of music and ritual can be said to have formed the impetus of such ontological beginnings through encounter. Therefore, one of the first sounds heard in the womb - that of water (or amniotic fluid) - constitutes what may be an archetypal sound of encounter. The phenomenological effects of such an archetype are analyzed in the music of Into Your Hands through topics such as the loss of aural perspective, immersion, dynamic swells, cyclic harmonic progressions, and simultaneity. Works of other composers who use similar techniques are discussed.

This paper considers the pastoral challenge of a diminished experience of liturgy and worship during the Covid-19 pandemic. It explores the ubiquity of the digital realm and a pervasive culture of consumerism as factors in addition to the pandemic contributing to the challenge. We then reflect on the challenge through the theological perspective of Scripture, sacramental theology, Vatican II teaching and liturgical theology before proposing a pastoral plan.

This thesis is the result of a concern over ‘being church’ in a multicultural setting, in accordance with the aphorism ‘Lex orandi, lex credendi, lex (con)vivendi’ (cf. Smit 2004). The urban setting of the City of Centurion, in Gauteng Province, The Republic of South Africa, displays a diversity of cultures, languages and individuals in relation with one another. South Africans, as a nation, are still learning to live together (lex (con)vivendi), in unity and inclusivity, some two decades after the birth of democracy in a post-Apartheid context. This context cannot be overlooked, neither can the multicultural context of urban South Africa. Therefore, the research question of this thesis is: how does the form and content of prayer impact the ways in which people connect with God and other people? In the first chapter, the research problem was stated. The second chapter described theory relevant to the research project as well as the research methodology. In the third chapter, the qualitative research data was described. Chapter four involved drawing on theories from various arts and sciences to interpret the empirical data. The fifth chapter considered theological concepts that would aid in developing ethical norms and learning from ‘good practice’. The sixth, and final chapter, formed a pragmatic response by means of suggesting a new theory for praxis. The suggested theory for praxis involves the liturgical inculturation process of continual critical-reciprocal interactions between liturgy and culture, with the inclusion of focussing on the concepts of unity and inclusivity. This should then aid the worshippers’ unity and inclusivity in ‘being church’, in living together — with one another (lex (con)vivendi) in a multicultural setting. Key terms: Liturgy; Liturgical inculturation; Culture; Prayer; Ritual; Ritualisation; Inclusivity; Unity; Practical Theology; Ecclesiology. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2018. / Practical Theology / PhD / Unrestricted

In the Dutch Reformed Church (NGK), as well as in other reformed churches, confirmation is an important mile stone in every person's life: It is when young people (or new members) can make a public (re) commitment to God. In this study, the researcher proposes a new way of thinking about confirmation as a liturgical transitional ritual (rite of passage). The research questions in the study are: o During which transitional life phase will confirmation be best suitable and meaningful? o What liturgical praxis theory and key points can be given to help a liturgist to make sense and present this liturgical ritual as transitional ritual? These research questions are approached by studying the question from different probes in the various chapters: a liturgical probe, a psychological and anthropological probe, a transitional (rites of passage) ritual probe, as well as an anthropological theological probe on faith formation. The researcher proposes a liturgy practice theory with key points to keep in mind when planning the liturgical ritual confirmation. In addition, she suggested that confirmation takes place during the transition phase to emerging adulthood. However, the reader will conclude from the different probes and summary of the study that there are more: more transitions, more life phases and more transitional rites and commitments that we can do in the DRC (as well as other reformed churches). / Dissertation (MTh)--University of Pretoria, 2018. / Die Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns / Practical Theology / MTh / Unrestricted