liturgy
Quick Summary
Liturgy refers to a formal system of veneration and public worship, often structured with designated sacred personnel leading ceremonies for the people. It is a universal aspect of religion, with some historians defining religion itself as cultic worship.12
In Roman Catholicism, the liturgy has roots in Judaism and the New Testament, with the eucharistic assembly (celebration of the Last Supper) being a central act. The liturgy of the Word, a key part of the mass, typically includes readings from the Old and New Testaments, followed by a homily and a profession of faith. The divine office, or liturgy of the hours, is another form of public worship comprising psalms, hymns, and prayers intended to sanctify the community. The practice of liturgy has evolved over centuries, with significant reforms occurring after the Second Vatican Council, including the shift from Latin to vernacular languages in many services.1345
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ChristianityLiturgy: the school and feast of faithChristians gather regularly for worship, particularly on Sundays and on the great annual festivals. In these assemblies, their faith is directed to God in praise and prayer; it is also exposed to God for strengthening, deepening, and enriching.…
Read MoreChristians gather regularly for worship, particularly on Sundays and on the great annual festivals. In these assemblies, their faith is directed to God in praise and prayer; it is also exposed to God for strengthening, deepening, and enriching.…
Read More- ChristianityLiturgy
The central focus of the liturgy of the early church was the Eucharist, which was interpreted as a fellowship meal with the resurrected Christ. Most expressions of Judaism at the time of Christ were dominated by an intense expectation, appropriated by the early Christian…
Read MoreThe central focus of the liturgy of the early church was the Eucharist, which was interpreted as a fellowship meal with the resurrected Christ. Most expressions of Judaism at the time of Christ were dominated by an intense expectation, appropriated by the early Christian…
Read More - Saint Cyprian
Cyprian introduced Byzantine liturgical reforms into the Russian Orthodox church: he replaced the old Russian format of prayer and chanting in the church, called the Rule of the Studion, with a new format, the Rule of Jerusalem, or of St. Savvas. He also introduced into Russia new versions…
Read MoreCyprian introduced Byzantine liturgical reforms into the Russian Orthodox church: he replaced the old Russian format of prayer and chanting in the church, called the Rule of the Studion, with a new format, the Rule of Jerusalem, or of St. Savvas. He also introduced into Russia new versions…
Read More - ChristianityThe early liturgy, the calendar, and the arts
St. Paul’s letters mention worship on the first day of the week. In John’s Apocalypse, Sunday is called “the Lord’s day.” The weekly commemoration of the Resurrection replaced for Christians the synagogue meetings on Saturdays; the practice of circumcision…
Read MoreSt. Paul’s letters mention worship on the first day of the week. In John’s Apocalypse, Sunday is called “the Lord’s day.” The weekly commemoration of the Resurrection replaced for Christians the synagogue meetings on Saturdays; the practice of circumcision…
Read More - prophecyNew Testament and early Christianity
…to speak freely in the liturgy, because of their inspiration by the Holy Spirit. Gradually, however, the liturgy became more and more fixed, and less freedom and innovation was permitted; that change, combined with the threat of false prophecy, eliminated those charismatic personalities. Among the heretical sects that advocated a…
Read More…to speak freely in the liturgy, because of their inspiration by the Holy Spirit. Gradually, however, the liturgy became more and more fixed, and less freedom and innovation was permitted; that change, combined with the threat of false prophecy, eliminated those charismatic personalities. Among the heretical sects that advocated a…
Read More - ChristianityLiturgy and the arts after Constantine
Along with these developments in higher theology, various forms of religious devotion emerged, one of the more important of which was the “cult of the saints,” the public veneration of saints and its related shrines…
Read MoreAlong with these developments in higher theology, various forms of religious devotion emerged, one of the more important of which was the “cult of the saints,” the public veneration of saints and its related shrines…
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FranceReligious discipline and piety…conciliar institution declined, leading to liturgical anarchy and a moral and intellectual crisis among the clergy. Charlemagne and Louis the Pious attempted to impose a uniform liturgy, inspired by the one used at Rome. They also took measures to raise the standard of education of both clerics and the faithful.
Read More…conciliar institution declined, leading to liturgical anarchy and a moral and intellectual crisis among the clergy. Charlemagne and Louis the Pious attempted to impose a uniform liturgy, inspired by the one used at Rome. They also took measures to raise the standard of education of both clerics and the faithful.
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Eastern OrthodoxyRelations between patriarch and tsar…life: the problem of the liturgical books. Originally translated from the Greek, the books suffered many corruptions through the centuries and contained numerous mistakes. In addition, the different historical developments in Russia and in the Middle East had led to differences between the liturgical practices of the Russians and the…
Read More…life: the problem of the liturgical books. Originally translated from the Greek, the books suffered many corruptions through the centuries and contained numerous mistakes. In addition, the different historical developments in Russia and in the Middle East had led to differences between the liturgical practices of the Russians and the…
Read More- Eastern OrthodoxyThe sacraments
Neither the liturgical book called Euchologion (“Prayer Book”), which contains the texts of the sacraments, nor the patristic tradition, however, formally limits the number of sacraments. They do not distinguish clearly between the “sacraments” and such acts as the blessing of water on Epiphany Day or the…
Read MoreNeither the liturgical book called Euchologion (“Prayer Book”), which contains the texts of the sacraments, nor the patristic tradition, however, formally limits the number of sacraments. They do not distinguish clearly between the “sacraments” and such acts as the blessing of water on Epiphany Day or the…
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worshipActivitiesThe divine liturgy of Eastern Orthodox churches provides a dramatic portrayal of the view that God works for the salvation of humankind. Incense, vestments, icons, music, and the processional and ritual movements of the liturgy are united into a reenactment of Christian deliverance from the powers of…
Read MoreThe divine liturgy of Eastern Orthodox churches provides a dramatic portrayal of the view that God works for the salvation of humankind. Incense, vestments, icons, music, and the processional and ritual movements of the liturgy are united into a reenactment of Christian deliverance from the powers of…
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biblical literatureBiblical literature in the liturgy of ChristianityThe first Christians were Jews, and they worshipped along with other Jews in the synagogue. The earliest Gentile converts also attended the synagogue. When Christians met outside the synagogue, they still used its liturgy, read its Bible, and preserved the…
Read MoreThe first Christians were Jews, and they worshipped along with other Jews in the synagogue. The earliest Gentile converts also attended the synagogue. When Christians met outside the synagogue, they still used its liturgy, read its Bible, and preserved the…
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lectionaryPresent-day liturgists in many denominations have been active in revising traditional lectionary systems. Many Protestant churches in the United States and other English-speaking areas use the Revised Common Lectionary (1992). A previous version, the Common Lectionary, was assembled in 1983. Both versions are three-year lectionaries that…
Read MorePresent-day liturgists in many denominations have been active in revising traditional lectionary systems. Many Protestant churches in the United States and other English-speaking areas use the Revised Common Lectionary (1992). A previous version, the Common Lectionary, was assembled in 1983. Both versions are three-year lectionaries that…
Read More- liturgy of the Word
The liturgy of the Word typically consists of three readings, the first from the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) and the second and third from the New Testament. The first New Testament reading is from the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles, or the Revelation to John…
Read MoreThe liturgy of the Word typically consists of three readings, the first from the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) and the second and third from the New Testament. The first New Testament reading is from the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles, or the Revelation to John…
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Roman CatholicismLiturgyCultic worship—a formal system of veneration—is so universal in religion that some historians of religion actually define religion as cult. Cultic worship is social, which means more than a group worshipping the same deity in the same place at the same time. A cult…
Read MoreCultic worship—a formal system of veneration—is so universal in religion that some historians of religion actually define religion as cult. Cultic worship is social, which means more than a group worshipping the same deity in the same place at the same time. A cult…
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- The Protestant HeritageThe community of the baptized and the political community
…in achieving these aims were liturgies and hymns. The inherited liturgies included much of the Roman Catholic sacramental teaching and thus had to be purged. Conservative Reformers retained the shell of these formulas for worship, though they took great pains to bring these formulas into the tradition of evangelical teaching.…
Read More…in achieving these aims were liturgies and hymns. The inherited liturgies included much of the Roman Catholic sacramental teaching and thus had to be purged. Conservative Reformers retained the shell of these formulas for worship, though they took great pains to bring these formulas into the tradition of evangelical teaching.…
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AnglicanismAnglican worshipWorship is the center of Anglican life. Anglicans view their tradition as a broad form of public prayer, and they attempt to encompass diverse Christian styles in a traditional context. Although The Book of Common Prayer is the most apparent mark of Anglican identity, it…
Read MoreWorship is the center of Anglican life. Anglicans view their tradition as a broad form of public prayer, and they attempt to encompass diverse Christian styles in a traditional context. Although The Book of Common Prayer is the most apparent mark of Anglican identity, it…
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LutheranismLiturgy and musicAlthough Luther retained the basic structure of the mass and liturgy, he introduced significant changes in the worship service, primarily of a theological nature, in writings such as the German Mass of 1526. The emphasis in the traditional mass on the reiteration…
Read MoreAlthough Luther retained the basic structure of the mass and liturgy, he introduced significant changes in the worship service, primarily of a theological nature, in writings such as the German Mass of 1526. The emphasis in the traditional mass on the reiteration…
Read More- Reformed and Presbyterian churchesLiturgy
In the Reformation earlier liturgies were modified by using the vernacular, removing anything that implied the reenacting of sacrifice in the mass, providing for congregational confession, and emphasizing the preaching of the word. Following Erasmus’ recommendation, the singing of Psalms became characteristic of Reformed…
Read MoreIn the Reformation earlier liturgies were modified by using the vernacular, removing anything that implied the reenacting of sacrifice in the mass, providing for congregational confession, and emphasizing the preaching of the word. Following Erasmus’ recommendation, the singing of Psalms became characteristic of Reformed…
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Agnus Dei…of Jesus Christ in Christian liturgical usage. It is based on the saying of John the Baptist: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). In the Roman Catholic liturgy the Agnus Dei is employed in the following text: “Lamb of God, who…
Read More…of Jesus Christ in Christian liturgical usage. It is based on the saying of John the Baptist: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). In the Roman Catholic liturgy the Agnus Dei is employed in the following text: “Lamb of God, who…
Read More- prayerReligions of the West
The liturgical collection, for Sundays as well as other days, includes readings from the Bible, collects (brief prayers including an invocation, petition, and conclusion in which the name of Jesus is called upon), and a litany (general prayer) for the intentions of the universal church. During…
Read MoreThe liturgical collection, for Sundays as well as other days, includes readings from the Bible, collects (brief prayers including an invocation, petition, and conclusion in which the name of Jesus is called upon), and a litany (general prayer) for the intentions of the universal church. During…
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languageJargonIn the Christian churches one can observe the value placed by the Church of England on the formal English of the Authorized Version of the Bible and of The Book of Common Prayer, despite attempts at replacing these ritual forms of language by forms taken from modern spoken…
Read MoreIn the Christian churches one can observe the value placed by the Church of England on the formal English of the Authorized Version of the Bible and of The Book of Common Prayer, despite attempts at replacing these ritual forms of language by forms taken from modern spoken…
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- religious symbolism and iconographyDiagrammatic and emblematic
…value: it refers to the liturgical, priestly sphere and also to life and death. In Christianity, colour symbolism is associated with the sacred year; in Buddhism with the picture of the universe, the regions of which are classified according to particular colours; and in the religion of the Maya of…
Read More…value: it refers to the liturgical, priestly sphere and also to life and death. In Christianity, colour symbolism is associated with the sacred year; in Buddhism with the picture of the universe, the regions of which are classified according to particular colours; and in the religion of the Maya of…
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religious dress…of symbolic identification than to liturgy with its ritualistic symbolic motifs.
Read More…of symbolic identification than to liturgy with its ritualistic symbolic motifs.
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