This book reexamines what we often take for granted: how Scripture is presented to worshipers; how it is heard, especially by those with little experience of the life of the church; Scripture’s role in mediating the great narratives of incarnation and redemption at the high points of the year; where Scripture meets people in ritual transition; how the Bible itself provides the language of much public prayer. Contributors also consider how the relationship between Scripture and liturgy is tested by new priorities—the climate crisis, the inclusion and protection of children, the recognition and honoring of those who find themselves on the margins of the church, and the significance of gender and identity in all areas of the church’s life. This book does not offer definitive statements. It is an invitation to a wide audience to engage in new conversations with their practice of worship.
Contributors include:
· John Baldovin, SJ
· Normand Bonneau, OMI
· Stephen Burns
· Cally Hammond
· Christopher Irvine
· David Kennedy
· Lizette Larson-Miller
· Ann Loades, CBE
· Anne McGowan
· Thomas O’Loughlin
· Catherine Reid
· Armand Léon van Ommen
Contents
Foreword ix
Paul F. Bradshaw
Preface xi
List of Contributors xv
Chapter 1
“Today This Scripture Has Been Fulfilled in Your Hearing” 1
Cally Hammond
Chapter 2
“How Are They to Hear Without Someone to Proclaim Him?” 15
John Baldovin, SJ
Chapter 3
The Bible in the Context of the Eucharist 33
Thomas O’Loughlin
Chapter 4
Living Lent and Engaging Easter: Scripture’s Potential and Liturgy’s Limits 55
Anne McGowan
Chapter 5
Light in the Darkness: Advent to Candlemas 75
David Kennedy
Chapter 6
Sunday, the Week, and Ordinary Time: A Return ad Fontes 96
Normand Bonneau, OMI
Chapter 7
The Role of the Bible in Anglican Marriage Rites 115
Catherine Reid
Chapter 8
Scripture Shaping Funerals or Cultural Funerals Shaping Scripture? 132
Lizette Larson-Miller
Chapter 9
Bible, Liturgy, and Doxology 150
Bridget Nichols
Chapter 10
Limping with the Living God: Reimagining Centre and Margins in the Liturgy 170
Armand Léon van Ommen
Chapter 11
A World Made New in Christ 186
Christopher Irvine
Chapter 12
Children Are Church 206
Ann Loades
Chapter 13
Liturgy, Gender, and Identity 227
Stephen Burns
Conclusion
Reading the Bible through the Liturgy 251
Gordon Jeanes
Index of Biblical References 263
Dr. Gordon Jeanes, Dr. Bridget R. Nichols, Paul F. Bradshaw
Gordon Jeanes has recently retired as a parish priest in London. Previously he taught liturgy in the Universities of Durham and Cardiff. He is the author of The Day Has Come! Easter and Baptism in Zeno of Verona (1995) and Signs of God’s Promise: Thomas Cranmer’s Sacramental Theology and the Book of Common Prayer (2008).
Bridget Nichols lectures in liturgy and Anglicanism at the Church of Ireland Theological Institute in Dublin. She is the author of Liturgical Hermeneutics (1996) and editor of The Collect in the Churches of the Reformation (2010). She is a past president of Societas Liturgica.
"The Word of God has always provided rich fare for worshipers. Many Christian denominations consider it the central feature of assembling. In a sense, we Roman Catholics were late for dinner, reforming our liturgy after coming to a renewed awakening into the value of the scriptures that have always guided our prayer. In this lively volume, all believers may celebrate together at the various ways that the Bible has fed our faith, anchored our worship, and opened our vision."
Father Paul Turner, Pastor, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception "Lively Oracles of God: Perspectives on the Bible and Liturgy is a significant contribution to twenty-first century liturgical scholarship. This edited volume deals with the various ways that the Scriptures function in liturgical prayer including proclamation, anamnesis, drama, and of course, the Lectionary itself. The scholars in this volume are so careful in treating historical, systematic, and pastoral concerns together. This volume is not only necessary reading for scholars. It is a gift to the ecumenical Church who journey together in remembering the mystery of salvation in the context of late modernity."
Timothy P. O'Malley, Director of Education, McGrath Institute for Church Life, University of Notre Dame
"Scripture's anamnetic function makes sense only if remembrance (of the past) and encounter (towards the future) are maintained in balance. This observation, drawn from O'Loughlin's essay, suggests a theme which unites these bold and insightful new investigations into the Bible's liturgical presence. Many contributors expose the inherent ritual and interpretive tensions when full account is taken of Scripture's multiple roles-pedagogical, kerygmatic and doxological, while others reveal the challenges, as well as the potential, of the inherited modes of biblical reading. Although drawing upon history, liturgical traditions and a wealth of earlier scholarship, the main focus of these essays is to make sense of the ways in which the dynamic interplay between the biblical text, the ritual act and contemporary contexts drives liturgical change and creates meaning. Liturgical ministers, as well as students and scholars, will be inspired by this tantalizing array of ideas and approaches."
Juliette J. Day, University of Helsinki "'Biblical' worship is a term used by some writers to claim superiority for their worship tradition over so-called 'liturgical' worship. This rich collection of essays demonstrates that 'liturgical' worship is drenched in Scripture to its core and is deeply evangelical in all senses of this word. This book is a joy to read."
Bryan D. Spinks, Bishop F. Percy Goddard Professor of Liturgical Studies and Pastoral Theology, Yale University "This present volume is the latest to appear in the prestigious collection of the Alcuin Club. Unlike many volumes in the series, this is an edited volume with contributors coming from different Christian traditions and places around the world to reflect on the relationship between Bible and liturgy."
Irish Theological Quarterly
"People entrusted with planning liturgical celebrations should read this book. They will find that it expands their horizons and gives them new energy for their ministry."
The Bible Today