Liturgical Theology After Schmemann : An Orthodox Reading of Paul Ricoeur

While only rarely reflecting explicitly on liturgy, French philosopher Paul Ricoeur (1913-2005) gave sustained attention to several themes pertinent to the interpretation of worship, including metaphor, narrative, subjectivity, and memory. Inspired by his well-known aphorism, “The symbol gives rise to thought,” Liturgical Theology after Schmemann offers an original exploration of the symbolic world of the Byzantine Rite , culminating in a Ricoeurian analysis of its Theophany “Great Blessing of Water.” . The book examines two fundamental questions: 1) what are the implications of the philosopher’s oeuvre for liturgical theology at large? And 2)how does the adoption of a Ricoeurian hermeneutic shape the study of a particular rite? Taking the seminal legacy of Orthodox theologian Alexander Schmemann (1921-1983) as its point of departure, Butcher contributes to the renewal of contemporary Eastern Christian thought and ritual practice by engaging a spectrum of current theological and philosophical conversations. Intro -- Half Title -- Series Announcement Page -- Title Page -- Copyright -- Contents -- Foreword -- Half Title -- Introduction -- Part I: "How Will the Lamp Enlighten the Light?" -- 1. "After Schmemann": Introducing Ricoeur into the Conversation -- 2. Western Perspectives -- Part II: "No Tongue Can Hymn Your Wonders" -- 3. Meaning in/and Metaphor -- 4. At the Intersection of the Via Positiva and the Via Negativa -- Part III: "Today You Have Appeared to the World" -- 5. "The Summoned Subject" -- 6. Truth as Attestation -- 7. Liturgical Time, Narrative, Memory, and History -- Part IV: "The Voice of the Lord Cries Out upon the Waters" -- 8. Manifestation and Proclamation -- Conclusion -- Appendix: "Service of the Great Blessing of the Waters" -- Acknowledgments -- Notes -- Bibliography -- Index -- Series Page Foreword by Andrew Louth ix Introduction 1 PART I: “HOW WILL THE LAMP ENLIGHTEN THE LIGHT?” 1 “ After Schmemann”: Introducing Ricoeur into the Conversation 9 2 Western Perspectives 30 PART II: “NO TONGUE CAN HYMN YOUR WON DERS” 3 Meaning in/and Meta phor 63 4 At the Intersection of the Via Positiva and the Via Negativa 85 PART III: “ TODAY YOU HAVE APPEARED TO THE WORLD” 5 “The Summoned Subject” 111 6 Truth as Attestation 137 7 Liturgical Time, Narrative, Memory, and History 150 8 Manifestation and Proclamation 173 Conclusion 213 Appendix: “Ser vice of the Great Blessing of the Waters” 217 Acknowl edgments 229 Notes 233 Bibliography 321 Index 337