This thesis proposes a methodology for invigorating the celebration of the Eucharist in the Church of South India in Kerala State, India. The proposed scheme uses the dramatic and didactic resources from the People’s Theatre. The aim is to develop a “People’s Eucharist” that will bring the laity of the church into the centre of liturgical action. The first chapter discusses the meaning of the Eucharist and the role of the liturgy in the celebration of the Eucharist. The Eucharist is not only the church’s commemoration of the Last Supper and the passion of Christ; it is also its celebration of God’s victory in Jesus Christ. It is a means of reconciliation, transformation, communion and renewal through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. It is argued here that a good liturgy will facilitate the active participation of the whole congregation in the eucharistic celebration. It will enable the worshippers to experience the liberating and transforming presence of Christ in their midst. The worshippers will find their own stories enmeshed in the story of God’s salvation. They will encounter the vision and the challenge of the Kingdom of God. It is also argued that the inculturation of the liturgy is absolutely essential if the church’s liturgy is to be relevant and meaningful to insiders and outsiders. The second chapter, which is in three parts, contains an evaluation of the liturgical life of the Church of South India. In the first part it is argued that the liturgies of the CSI, namely, The Order of the Lord’s Supper (1950/’79) and its two alternate forms, are inadequate to meet the needs of the growing church to day. The church needs a liturgy that has close affinities to the life, struggles and the mission of the people of God, and which reflects the best of India’s spirituality and culture. The second part of the chapter contains the findings of a field survey conducted in the four Kerala CSI dioceses to discover people’s experience of the Eucharist. On their basis, it is contended that the liturgical worship in these dioceses fails to provoke people to transcend the boundaries of their private religious experiences and to take up the concerns of the Kingdom of God in the context of the church’s social tasks. The third part suggests certain guiding principles for liturgical renewal.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:653591 |
| Date | January 1999 |
| Creators | George, Kuruvilla |
| Publisher | University of Edinburgh |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://hdl.handle.net/1842/19786 |
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