History of the liturgy : ǂthe ǂmajor stages

How great the differences between the Last Supper celebrated by Jesus and a pontifical High Mass at St. Peter's in Rome! And also, between the early baptisms by immersion described in the Acts of the Apostles and the baptisms of newborns in our parishes today. Why such a change in the celebration of the Christian mystery? Why the recent reforms, often misunderstood? In History of the Liturgy, Marcel Metzger answers such questions and offers an understanding of this evolution through a carefully documented historical survey. The essential forms of the liturgy were fixed very early according to the tradition received from the apostles. But the place given to biblical readings, teaching, singing, and ritual has varied in the course of the centuries. In History of the Liturgy, Metzger describes the most important phases of these changes. In describing the first millennium, he focuses on liturgy's essentials common to the Eastern and Western Churches. In describing the second millennium, he explains the deviations of the Western Churches which called for the effort of reform and renewal begun by Vatican II. Metzger studies the development of the liturgical institutions and distinguishes liturgy's five main stages that correspond to the situations of the Churches in ancient, medieval, and modern societies. He begins by focusing on the apostolic period, roughly the first century of our era, until the death of the apostles. He follows by studying the period of minorities and semi-clan destiny until the beginning of the fourth century. He then focuses on the Peace of the Church," which grants public status to the churches in the Empire, fosters their growth, and organizes the collaboration between Empire and Church. The work concludes by studying the stability, rigidity, renewals, and reforms of the Roman liturgy, from the end of the Middle Ages to Vatican II. This clear and accurate survey of the history of liturgy is designed to awaken readers' interest, on a solid yet introductory level, in the realities that have made and still make up the Church's liturgical life: assemblies, Eucharist, baptism, reconciliation, dally praise, the Church's calendar, and its architecture. In History of the Liturgy, Metzger stresses that if history is the teacher of life, the eyes of Christian faith allow us to recognize in it as well the mysterious presence of God, who, through the Spirit, guides his people. And this happens, above all, in the liturgy. " Ch. 1. The Historical Study Of The Liturgy: The Oral Tradition ; Ancient Witnesses Of The Tradition In The Liturgical Domain ; The Archeological Vestiges ; The Written Sources ; The Method Followed For This Historical Study -- Ch. 2. Apostolic Times: The First Century: The Sources ; The Assemblies Or Synaxes ; Meal Of The Community And The Lord's Supper ; The Lord's Supper At Corinth ; The Places Used For The Assemblies ; The Accounts Of Baptisms ; The Liturgy In Time ; The Liturgical Ministries ; The Rites Of The Apostolic Church -- Ch. 3. The Liturgy In Christian Minorities During Times Of Relative Clandestinity: The Sources ; The Assemblies ; The Places Used For The Assemblies ; The Eucharistic Celebration ; The Synaxes On Weekdays ; The Liturgy Of Baptism ; Ministries And Ordinations ; The Reconciliation Of Penitents ; Liturgies For The Martyrs And The Dead ; The Paschal Feast ; The Oil Of The Sick ; Marriage ; Conclusion --^ Ch. 4. The Liturgy In The Roman Empire After The Peace Of The Church: The Sources ; The Assemblies ; The Basilicas ; The Eucharistic Celebration ; The Synaxes On Weekdays ; The Baptismal Liturgy ; Ministries And Ordinations ; Marriage, A Family Ceremony ; The Reconciliation Of Penitents ; The Oil Of The Sick ; Liturgies For Martyrs And The Dead ; Feasts And Calendars ; Conclusion: A Golden Age For The Liturgy -- Ch. 5. Christendom: The Conversion Of Nations And The Administration Of The Common People: The Carolingian Renaissance And Its Effects On Chrstian Institutions ; The Importation Of Roman Liturgical Books ; Evolution Of The Books Of The Roman Liturgy ; Stabilization Of The Liturgy Of The Roman Church --^ Ch. 6. Stability, Fixity, And Restorations Of The Roman Liturgy From The Twelfth Century To Vatican Ii: The Eclipse Of The Litrugical Assembly ; From The Ecclesial Celebration To The Private Mass ; The Missal Of Pope Pius V ; From The Celebration To The Administration Of The Sacraments ; The Funeral Rites ; The Calendar And Feasts ; The Expansion Of Devotions ; The Arrangement Of Church Buildings. Marcel Metzger ; French Text Translated By Madeleine Beaumont. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 147-151) And Index. Introduction 1. The Historical Study of the Liturgy The Oral Tradition Ancient Witnesses of the Tradition in the Liturgical Domain The Archeological Vestiges The Written Sources The Method Followed for This Historical Study 2. Apostolic Times: The First Century The Sources The Assemblies or Synaxes Meal of the Community and the “Lord’s Supper” The “Lord’s Supper” at Corinth The Places Used for the Assemblies The Accounts of Baptisms The Liturgy in Time The Liturgical Ministries The Rites of the Apostolic Church 3. The Liturgy in Christian Minorities during Times of Relative Clandestinity The Sources The Assemblies The Places Used for the Assemblies The Eucharistic Celebration The Synaxes on Weekdays The Liturgy of Baptism Ministries and Ordinations The Reconciliation of Penitents Liturgies for the Martyrs and the Dead The Paschal Feast The Oil of the Sick Marriage Conclusion 4. The Liturgy in the Roman Empire after the Peace of the Church The Sources The Assemblies The Basilicas The Eucharistic Celebration The Synaxes on Weekdays The Baptismal Liturgy Ministries and Ordinations Marriage, a Family Ceremony The Reconciliation of Penitents The Oil of the Sick Liturgies for Martyrs and the Dead Feasts and Calendars Conclusion: A Golden Age for the Liturgy 5. Christendom: The Conversion of Nations and the Administration of the Common People The Carolingian Renaissance and Its Effects on Christian Institutions The Importation of Roman Liturgical Books Evolution of the Books of the Roman Liturgy Stabilization of the Liturgy in the Roman Church 6. Stability, Fixity, and Restorations of the Roman Liturgy from the Twelfth Century to Vatican II The Eclipse of the Liturgical Assembly From the Ecclesial Celebration to the Private Mass The Missal of Pope Pius V From the Celebration to the Administration of the Sacraments The Funeral Rites The Calendar and Feasts The Expansion of Devotions The Arrangement of Church Buildings Conclusion Notes Selected Bibliography Glossary "How great the differences between the Last Supper celebrated by Jesus and a pontifical high Mass at St. Peter's in Rome - and also between the early baptisms by immersion described in the Acts of the Apostles and the baptisms of babies in our parishes! Why such a change in the celebration of the Christian mystery? Why the recent reforms, often poorly understood? We can understand this evolution only through a carefully documented historical survey, like the one the author offers in this book." "Marcel Metzger describes the most important phases of this evolution. Throughout the first millennium, it is in its essentials common to the Eastern and Western churches. For the second millennium, the historian must explain the deviations of the Western churches that urgently called for the reform and renewal initiated by Vatican II." "This clear and precise exposition is designed to awaken readers' interest in the realities that have made and still make up the Church's liturgical life: assemblies, Eucharist, baptism, reconciliation, daily praise . . . but also the Church's calendar and its architecture."--BOOK JACKET