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Details: The Episcopal church in the twentieth century took advantage of the general availability of publishing to good advantage, compiling through several auspices different collections and teaching series, the latest of which was only completed a few years ago. There have been 'unofficial' collections of teaching texts, such as the Anglican Studies Series by Morehouse press, put out in the 1980s, as well as an earlier teaching series. However, each generation approaches things anew; the New Church Teaching Series, published by Cowley Publications (a company operated as part of the ministry of the Society of St. John the Evangelist - SSJE - one of the religious/monastic communities in the Episcopal church, based in the Boston area) is the most recent series, and in its thirteen volumes, explores in depth and breadth the theology, history, liturgy, ethics, mission and more of the modern Anglican vision in America. This twelfth and final volume, 'A Theology of Worship' by Louis Weil, picks up on a lot of themes from the earlier volumes in the Church Teaching Series. It relates back to history, theology, mission, and ethics - it asks the questions broadly of what is becoming of worship across the major liturgical traditions in the coming century, how the larger body of Christians are coming to understand worship, sacramentality and community in new ways. In the first chapter, Weil sets the stage by looking at baptism, one of the two primary sacraments of the church - the sacrament of entry, of mission, and of identity in many ways. Defining all the baptised as ministers of the church (a theme recurring in Anglican and other traditions more and more), he explores the true purpose of ministry as being out in the world. The liturgy, which can be translated etymologically as `work of the people' is something to be recaptured as a corporate and community act. Weil looks at issues such as who presides or celebrates certain sacraments, and by extension does other functions of the church; what language the churches use, and particularly, the English of the Prayer Book; issues of cultural diversity in worship; music and its role in worship, along with other arts; and finally, a development of sacramentality sensibility. This is a brief book, so most topics are covered fairly quickly without great detail - for example, the final chapter on sacraments discusses commonly-held beliefs about sacraments, some aspects of sacramental procedure, and key questions, but it is not a fully-fledged sacramental theology a la Macquarrie's `Guide to the Sacraments'. Overall, this is an excellent concluding volume (save for the study and usage guide by Grenz) to the Church Teaching Series, drawing together many strands. Louis Weil is a professor of liturigics at CDSP, the California Divinity School of the Pacific, the Episcopal seminary in the West. He had taught and written books on the subject for nearly half a century, and is an acclaimed author and public speaker on the topic of worship and liturgy in both Anglican and ecumenical contexts. Each of the texts is relatively short (only two of the volumes exceed 200 pages; this is one of them), the print and text of each easy to read, designed not for scholars but for the regular church-goer, but not condescending either - the authors operate on the assumption that the readers are genuinely interested in deepening their faith and practice. Each volume concludes with questions for use in discussion group settings, and with annotated lists of further readings recommended. |
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