Summary of Articles
Martin Shannon
"A Certain Psychological Difficulty" or a
Certain Spiritual Challenge:
Use of the Integral Psalter in the Liturgy of the Hours, pp. 290 - 309.Summary. Martin Shannon proposes that there be a re-examination of the question regarding the use of the entire Psalter in the cycle for the daily prayer of the church. In particular, the author considers the decision made to omit the so-called "cursing-psalms" in the 1970 reform of the Liturgy of the Hours.
Shannon approaches his subject matter by first reviewing the process which brought about the conclusion that three psalms (58, 83, and 109) and various psalm verses would be omitted from the Liturgy of the Hours. Shannon traces the recommendations of the Consilium concerning this issue, the position of the Consilium's secretary, Father Annibale Bugnini, and the response of Pope Paul VI. Shannon notes that despite the decision to opt for omission, the question as to whether the entire Psalter should be retained for use by the church remains.
Next, the author surveys how the psalms have historically functioned as prayers appropriate for the Christian assembly. This leads Shannon to a presentation of four arguments, favoring the retention of the entire Psalter in the Liturgy of the Hours: (1) the inclusion of all the psalms would preserve the integrity of the Psalter; (2) the cursing psalms and verses vividly remind us of the reality of evil and pain in the world; (3) these psalms function to reinforce the authenticity of worship by helping us to bring before God our true selves; and (4) the integral psalter in the Liturgy of the Hours underscores the unity of the church in its life of prayer.
Judith Marie Kubicki
Using J. L. Austin's Performative Language Theory
to Interpret Ritual Music-Making, pp. 310 - 331.Summary. One of the foundational principles of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy is the importance of the active participation of the faithful in the liturgy. However, as Judith Marie Kubicki observes, what the active participation of the faithful actually involves and what best promotes the possibility of it actually happening is not always clear. Kubicki suggests that the singing of acclamations, hymns, and other forms of ritual music can be an effective means for providing the assembly with the opportunity to participate actively in the liturgy; yet, she notes that questions continue to be raised regarding music's role in ritual prayer.
In her essay, Kubicki examines the role of music in liturgy. Because music is properly described as one of many symbols within the liturgy, she begins with a consideration of the liturgy as a dynamic complexus of symbols which are not objects, but actions that negotiate and/or disclose relationships. Such a perspective with respect to music means that the proper object for the study of music as ritual symbol is not the printed page of music but rather, the action of music-making. Kubicki adds that this focus shifts the primary concern from the music itself and places it instead on the activity of human subjects as music-makers.
Kubicki approaches the interpretation of music-making from the vantage point of what is understood about ritual language. She points to J.L. Austin's performative language theory as providing an important perspective on ritual language and discusses what light this theory can shed on the role of ritual music. Kubicki concludes that Austin's theory is a useful tool for describing the dynamics involved in ritual music-making since it allows us to describe liturgical singing as an instance when singing is the doing of something. Specifically, singing speaks of attitudes which bring about the transformation of the participants. Music, Kubicki says, situates the assembly in a sonic environment and draws worshipers into its movement. Lastly, the musical elements of stress and intonation give singing the power to effect what is being sung. Kubicki concludes that in this way, ritual singing is a means whereby the faithful may actively participate in the liturgy.
Maxwell E. Johnson
The 1998 Libro de Liturgia y Cántico of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
An Evaluation of its Sección de Liturgia, pp. 331 - 348.Summary. Maxwell Johnson evaluates the Libro de Liturgia y Cántico (hereafter, Libro), the recently published version of the Lutheran Book of Worship (LBW) for Spanish-speaking clergy, members, and congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Johnson calls the Libro a "remarkable achievement" and commends the Comité for the production of this liturgical resource. Nevertheless, he brings to the reader's attention some issues of a liturgical-theological-ecumenical nature found in the first section of the Libro, the Sección de Liturgia, which warrant critical reflection.
In Johnson's opinion, the issues which call for particular attention concern the selection and translation of the particular Eucharistic Prayers, various elements originally proposed but ultimately excluded from the book, and some potential ecumenical problems that may arise from the specific translation of corporate liturgical responses. Johnson treats each of these issues in the article.
At the end of the discussion, Johnson emphasizes that his critique of the Libro should in no way be taken as an effort to minimize the significance of this book or a suggestion that the Libro is somehow inadequate. He nevertheless expresses his hope that the issues he raises will have wider interest, especially given the fact that the ELCA began a process in 1998 leading toward the possible and/or eventual publication of a "new" Lutheran Book of Worship. Johnson adds that this process of deliberation by the ELCA will have to take into account questions of culture, inculturation, and multi-cultural liturgical celebration as never before in Lutheran liturgical history.
Gerard S. Sloyan
"We Read Fine Things but Never Feel Them to the Full," pp. 348 - 351.Summary. Gerard Sloyan offers thoughts on the important role of public readers in the liturgy. He begins with the premise that the reader's task is persuasion: convincing the people that the passage from Scripture is important in the lives of those who hear it. According to Sloyan, the scriptural texts must be communicated as something that relates to the lives people are living; therefore, the basic requirement is that the reading be conveyed as spoken to them. In Sloyan's opinion, the best readers are those who do it so naturally that they seem to be conversing with their hearers, however large the assembly.
The writer comments that for people who read as a habit of life to qualify as acceptable public readers in the liturgy, they need to be readers of the Bible outside the worship act. At the very least, as part of their preparation, they need to scrutinize carefully the biblical book in which their scheduled reading appears.
Sloyan suggests at the end of the essay that the importance of the reader's task in liturgy requires that serious attention be given to the selection of readers. The selection process must take into account the needs of the assembly. As Sloyan points out, the people have to hear the word of God in a way they can understand, even before a helpful homily begins. He recommends that a process be in place to ensure initial selection of readers and that a biennial check-up be done to see whether the congregation's needs are being served.
Edward Foley
The Homily beyond Scripture:
Fulfilled in Your Hearing Revisited, pp. 351 - 358.Summary. In 1982, the National Catholic Conference of Bishops' Committee on Priestly Life and Ministry issued its teaching on the Sunday homily, Fulfilled in Your Hearing (FIYH). As Edward Foley discusses, the teaching was widely embraced; however, there needs to follow a necessary critique of FIYH, for it defines the homily almost exclusively in terms of the scriptural proclamation which precedes it at the Sunday assembly. Foley points out that despite the insistence of more foundational documents that the whole of the liturgy is to be preached, FIYH gives virtually no attention to the important role of the entire "liturgical bible" in the homily.
In this discussion of FIYH, Foley describes the almost exclusive attention FIYH gives to the scriptural texts to the exclusion of other liturgical texts in homily preparation. Next, he demonstrates that according to the official instruction of the Roman Catholic Church, the liturgical homily has an essential link to scripture and/or some other liturgical text. He then suggests a model for homily preparation that provides a more inclusive view of the dialogue partners necessary for the construction of an authentic liturgical homily. These dialogue partners include the liturgical bible (which refers to all of the "sacred texts" which constitute the liturgy for a given day), world events, the arts, and the human story. Finally, Foley offers a definition of the homily which takes all of the dialogue partners into account.
Foley concludes that the entire liturgy, and not just the Scriptures alone, are to be the source of liturgical preaching worthy of the name. This preaching is not directed toward the assembly as consumer or object, but engages the assembly as doer and subject.
Nathan Mitchell
The Amen Corner, pp. 359 - 368.Summary. Nathan Mitchell explores the power of the vernacular, the local, in art, architecture and liturgy. In doing so, he comments that a space is "sacred" because of what is done and discovered there. Those who serve congregations in matters of "environment and art" are, in effect, mystagogues who help an assembly negotiate its meeting with Mystery. Mitchell suggests that to create worship space for a community of faith is to think with the skin, to remember with the body. He says it is to understand that faith must be embodied in a world of our making. Art and architecture – like other human acts and artifacts – become avenues for knowing and naming the Holy.
Mitchell further suggests that the norm for designing a worship space is nothing less than the assembly itself and its liturgies. He argues that the assembly at worship is the norm of "sacred space." Buildings become sacred not because they reflect a particular period or style, but because of the actions and embodied memories of the communities that use them. Mitchell adds that God's high and holy things – the practices and places of worship – belong to the assembly, and the assembly remains a rather unruly, raucous crowd.
Mitchell concludes by reminding readers who it was that surrounded Jesus when he offered the perfect liturgy of sacrifice on the cross. Jesus was surrounded by low-life, those whom he offered unconditional, uncompromising forgiveness. Mitchell offers the insight that while we tend to think that Eucharist is about our making memory of Jesus, perhaps it is the other way around – Jesus making memory of us. Our job, Mitchell says, is not to do Eucharist for Jesus but to do it for the world, to make heaven happen here, now, in our own time and place. In the vernacular. Among the low-life.
Book Reviews
Religious Mystery and Rational Reflection: Excursions in the Phenomenology and Philosophy of Religion. By Louis Dupré. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans 1998. Pages, 147. Paper, $20.00. ISBN: 0-8028-4325-5. Review by Robert P. Imbelli.
Liturgy and the Moral Self. Humanity at Full Stretch Before God. Edited by E. Byron Anderson and Bruce T. Morrill, S.J. Collegeville: The Liturgical Press 1998. Pages, xii + 231. Paper, $27.95. ISBN 0-8146-6168-8. Review by Gerard S. Sloyan.
The Vitality of Worship: A Commentary on the Book of Psalms. By Robert Davidson. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans 1998. Pages, x + 484. Paper, $32.00. ISBN 0-8028-4246. Review by Irene Nowell, O.S.B.
To Worship God Properly: Tensions between Liturgical Custom and Halakhah in Judaism. By Ruth Langer. Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College Press, 1998. Pages, 287. Cloth, $49.95. ISBN: 0-87820-421-0. Review by Michael Goldberg.
Mary: Art, Culture, and Religion through the Ages. By Caroline H. Ebertshäuser, Herbert Haag, Joe H. Kirchberger, and Dorothee Sölle. Translated from the German by Peter Heinegg. New York: Crossroad Publishing Company/A Crossroad Herder Book 1998. Pages, 272. Cloth, $90.00. ISBN 0-8245-1760-1. Review by R. Kevin Seasoltz, O.S.B.
Te Deum: The Church and Music, A Textbook, A Reference, A History, An Essay. By Paul Westermeyer. Minneapolis: Fortress Press 1998. Pages, 412. Cloth, $25.00. ISBN: 0-8006-3146-3. Review by Rosemary Thoonen Dubowchik.
Beyond Belief: Modern Art and the Religious Imagination. Edited by Rosemary Crumlin. Melbourne, Australia: National Gallery of Victoria 1998. Pages, 208. Paper, $45.95. ISBN 07241-0200-0. Review by R. Kevin Seasoltz, O.S.B.
Ministry and the Law: What You Need to Know. By Mary Angela Shaughnessy. New York: Paulist Press 1998. Pages, v - 85. Paper, $8.95. ISBN 0-8091-3789-5. Review by Diane L. Barr.
Love at the Heart of Things. By E. Glenn Hinson. Wallingford: Pendle Hill Publications 1998. Pages, 391. Paper, $16.50. ISBN 0-87574929-1. Review by Jeffrey Gros F.S.C.
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