Liturgy Across Time and Traditions

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This course studies the history and meaning of liturgy and centers around three key areas, namely: (1) Anthropology: Why do humans pursue ritual activity as a means of interaction with the divine? What forms did religious ritual take in the ancient Jewish and pre-Christian Graeco-Roman worlds? (2) Theology: How does the Christian belief in the incarnation and paschal mystery enrich this anthropology of ritual? What are the ecclesiological underpinnings of the Church's liturgy? How does the Church understand its sacraments as an anticipation and actualization of the age to come? (3) History: How has the Church's sacramental life developed over time? What has remained constant in spite of historical change?