Liturgy's Imagined Past/s - by Teresa Berger & Bryan D Spinks (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

This book calls attention to the importance of scholarly reflection on the writing of liturgical history. The essays not only probe the impact of important shifts in historiography but also present new scholarship that promises to reconfigure some of the established images of liturgy's past. Based on papers presented at the 2014 Yale Institute of Sacred Music Liturgy Conference, Liturgy's Imagined Past/s seeks to invigorate discussion of methodologies and materials in contemporary writings on liturgy's pasts and to resource such writing at a point in time when formidable questions are being posed about the way in which historians construct the object of their inquiry.

Review Quotes

"The editors have allowed idiosyncrasies between the contributions to exist as they are. They do not force a unified agenda; rather, their volume fosters reflection and conversation precisely because multiple perspectives are given their due space. Only through such dialogue can one obtain a more accurate reading of currents within the field."Ecclesia Orans

"This book occupies an essential place in the field of liturgical theology by revising and updating the historical liturgical methodologies. One of the indispensable readings for scholars and researchers in the field of history and liturgy today."Studies in Liturgy

"This splendid volume ought to be required reading for any serious student of liturgical history. Its authors open new and challenging doors of inquiry that allow us to contemplate the rich diversity of our liturgical past. In so doing they also help us gain valuable perspectives for contemporary liturgical practice."Worship

"These papers make the point that there is not simply the past but rather the possibility of many pasts and that these have implications for contemporary worship. Few people are likely to find these essays of equal interest, but the quality of their scholarship is excellent."James Dallen, Catholic Books Review

"People throughout the ages have re-created the past in their worship and rituals. This rich and beautifully organized collection by major scholars in the field demonstrates how and why this is so in a multiplicity of ways, across times and cultures, and often with interdisciplinary evidence that points to new methods of working. It will be a classic in the field of liturgical studies and will be gratefully received by scholars in a wide range of disciplines."Margot E. Fassler, Keough-Hesburgh Professor of Music History and Liturgy, University of Notre Dame

"With both theoretical reflections and examples of new approaches, this volume is a key addition to considering the range of methodologies needed for the writing of liturgical history."Lester Ruth, Duke Divinity School