By its very nature, hermeneutics?the art or science of interpreting?is interdisciplinary. It is equally important for scholars of literature, philosophy, biblical texts, and theology. In spite of the fact that interpretation has long been an important concern for Scripture exegetes and that in recent years liturgists have paid increasing attention to methods, there is no major work that specifically addresses the issues of hermeneutics for liturgy. Liturgy and Hermeneutics fills that void. In Liturgy and Hermeneutics Joyce Ann Zimmerman explains that all communication requires some interpretation, even everyday conversations in which we are hardly aware of it. But a great deal of communication is far more complex. Anytime we try to describe such things as an idea, a concept, or an experience, we are well beyond ordinary language use and into the realm of language as a symbol system. Since symbols have both a literal meaning and another level of meaning available only through interpretation, much of our communication is hermeneutical. Liturgy is no exception; it too is hermeneutical. In the past everything about liturgy seemed clear and understandable, and the rituals were denotative. However, Zimmerman argues, that lack of interpretation may have deprived worshipers of the richness proper to liturgy. A non-interpretive approach to liturgy tends to reduce it to rubrics or received grace. We must likewise be wary of an interpretation of liturgy that is too subjective. Only authentic interpretation examines liturgy's richness while remaining faithful to its tradition, doctrinal content, and ritual expressions. In Liturgy and Hermeneutics Zimmerman specifically addresses hermeneutics and its use in liturgy and liturgical studies. Her purpose is twofold: (1) to introduce readers to a complex body of literature so they can become literate in a technical field; and (2) to guide readers through the complex issues and strategies involved in interpreting liturgy (as text, as ritual, as life). Zimmerman does not promote a single hermeneutic approach, but instead points out the advantages and disadvantages of various approaches. Chapters are "What's at Stake?" ?Overview of Hermeneutical Theory and Issues, ? ?Critical Methods, ? ?Post-critical Methods, ? ?Hermeneutics and Liturgical Studies Today, ? and an epilogue that raises questions yet to be comprehensively addressed by liturgists.

“I am increasingly convinced that the decisive question that demands an answer from us is not so much how believers experience the liturgy, but whether believers live from the liturgy they celebrate.”With these few words Goffredo Boselli captures the essence of this present work. Believers can celebrate the liturgy throughout their lifetimes without ever really drawing their lives from it. And this is true of all believers—laity, clergy, or monastics. More than a century after the start of the liturgical movement and half a century after the start of the postconciliar liturgical reform, we must ask the difficult question of whether the liturgy has or has not become the source of the spiritual life of believers. For only by living from the liturgy can they receive the nourishment necessary to maintain a life of faith in today’s world. In The Spiritual Meaning of the Liturgy, Goffredo Boselli—one of Europe’s foremost liturgical theologians—offers an accessible and important guide for both scholars and interested laypeople to understand the meaning that permeates the liturgy and its implications for daily living. Readers will find here a resource to help understand the liturgy more fully, interiorize it more effectively, and live it more authentically.

This book offers unique insights into the Psalms and sketches a variety of interpretive possibilities. The exposition of Psalm texts against the background of their different historical and/or cultic settings in the ancient Near East sets a firm basis for their reapplication in the liturgy today. In the history of interpretation the Psalms have also proven themselves to be natural texts for liturgical use. This scholarly effort thus portrays in various ways the importance of the Psalms for their reviving interpretation and application in the liturgy. Contributors include: Marcel Bernhard, Georg P. Braulik, Brian Doyle, Alphonso Groenewald, Dirk J. Human, Jorg Jeremias, Louis C. Joner, Jurie H. le Roux, Eckhart Otto, Nick A. Schuman, Stephanus D. Snyman, Hans-Ulrich Steymans, Pieter M. Venler and Cas J.A. Vos. JSOTS 410

Designed as a general introduction to Christian liturgy, this book explores the meaning, history, and practice of worship in Eastern and Western, Catholic and Protestant traditions. Its chapters cover the theology of worship, the historical development of Eucharist and the Prayer Offices, the lectionary and customs of the church year, other sacramental rites, and the use of music and the arts. As such, it is a perfect textbook for students seeking to understand the basics of liturgical worship, as well as a reliable guide for worship leaders.

As Catholics, the Mass is the center of our Faith. We celebrate it every day. We know all the responses. We know all the gestures. But do we know what it all means? In A Biblical Walk Through the Mass, Dr. Edward Sri takes us on a unique tour of the Liturgy. Based on the revised translation of the Mass, this book explores the biblical roots of the words and gestures we experience in the Liturgy and explains their profound significance. This intriguing look at the Mass is sure to renew your faith and deepen your devotion to the Eucharist. This book is used as the text for A Biblical Walk Through the Mass Study Program, but it may also be purchased separately at steep bulk discounts. For those not able to attend a study, this is a perfect resource for catechesis on the deep riches of the Mass.

The Catholic Church teaches that the celebration of the liturgy is the “source and summit of the Christian life” (Lumen gentium, 11). Participating in the liturgy—the Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours, the sacramental rites, blessings, and other official rites—is the most important act of Catholic Christians, for it is through the liturgy that the faithful give praise to God, thank him for his blessings, and go forth strengthened and challenged to life as Christ’s disciples in the world. This easy-to-read resource explores what it means to call liturgy “source and summit.” It will help the Catholic faithful to understand the meaning of the liturgy and its importance to our life of faith, experience Christ’s four-fold presence in the various Church rites, come to a deeper relationship with God, and reflect on the transforming power of the liturgy to change the world.

What happens to the Bible when it is used in worship? What does music, choreography, the stringing together of texts, and the architectural setting itself, do to our sense of what the Bible means—and how does that influence our reading of it outside of worship? In Liturgy and Biblical Interpretation, Sebastian Selvén answers questions concerning how the Hebrew Bible is used in Jewish and Christian liturgical traditions and the impact this then has on biblical studies. This work addresses the neglect of liturgy and ritual in reception studies and makes the case that liturgy is one of the major influential forms of biblical reception. The case text is Isaiah 6:3 and its journey through the history of worship. By looking at the Qedushah liturgies in Ashkenazi Judaism and the Sanctus in three church traditions—(pre-1969) Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism (the Church of England), and Lutheranism (Martin Luther, and the Church of Sweden)—influential lines of reception are followed through history. Because the focus is on lived liturgy, not only are worship manuals and prayer books investigated but also architecture, music, and choreography. With an eye to modern-day uses, Selvén traces the historical developments of liturgical traditions. To do this, he has used methodological frameworks from the realm of anthropology. Liturgy, this study argues, plays a significant role in how scholars, clergy, and lay people receive the Bible, and how we understand the way it is to be read and sometimes even edited. Liturgy and Biblical Interpretation will interest scholars of the Bible, liturgy, and church history, as well as Jewish and Christian clergy.