Rite and man: Natural sacredness and Christian liturgy

by Louis Bouyer

English, French (translation)

Genres: Theology

1 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1963

About the author

Rev. Louis Bouyer (1913-2004) was a member of the French Oratory and one of the most respected and versatile Catholic scholars and theologians of the twentieth century.

A friend of Hans Urs von Balthasar, Joseph Ratzinger, and J.R.R. Tolkien, and a co-founder of the international review Communio, Bouyer was a former Lutheran minister who entered the Catholic Church in 1939.

He became a leading figure in the Catholic biblical and liturgical movements of the twentieth century, was an influence on the Second Vatican Council, and became well known for his excellent books on history of Christian spirituality. In addition to his many writings, Bouyer lectured widely across Europe and America.

Woman in the Church (with an epilogue by Balthasar and an essay by C.S. Lewis), was one of the first three books published by Ignatius Press, in 1979. Other Ignatius Press books by Bouyer include The Word Church and Sacraments in Protestantism and Catholicism, Women Mystics, and the introduction to John Henry Newman: Prayers Verses Devotions (Bouyer wrote a biography of Newman).

He was chosen by the Pope to be part of a team to initiate the International Theological Commission in 1969.

Reviews

[Michael Shami · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent exposition of Christian ritual, and why liturgy is inherently a natural, anthropological expression of God rather than limited to particular instances of divine revelation.

[M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though it's not so long it took me a lot of time to read this based on its density. Yet it's a good introduction to the fundamental anthropological, symbolic and religious aspects of liturgy drawing from Scripture, Jewish roots and psychology, philosophy and history.

[Adam Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to follow.