Christian Liturgy: Catholic and Evangelical

by Frank C. Senn

Written with special attention to Early Church, Reformation, and present day traditions, this is a new comprehensive study of Christian liturgy that sorts out essential elements from what is peripheral in the Church's practice of word and sacrament.

Genres: Theology, History

770 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1997

Reviews

[Tyler Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a small portion of this book for my Introduction to Christian Liturgy & Its Development course under Fr. Toby Karlowitz at Nashotah House Seminary.

I found this book to be surprisingly engaging and readable for such a large volume. I would like to return to it at some point in the future for continued education.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book detailing the history and theology of liturgy and worship. I preferred to give this book 4.5 stars but could not give five stars because of the author's Bibliology (JEDP anyone?), which colored the biblical roots of liturgy. The remaining material on the liturgy proper is stellar. Even those who do not have a formal liturgy can appreciate the author's research demonstrating that God's Word and the Eucharist/Lord's Supper were and are to be central to Sunday worship. Anyone can take away many points away for application in their own churches.

[Skyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book and planned to skim through a few chapters that I found interesting. I ended up spending hours reading and re-reading through each chapter, skipping only a few sections (Scandinavian Liturgies, etc.) Truly, this is a wonderful resource. Though Senn focuses mostly on Western liturgical development, I was happy to see that he addresses Eastern worship as well. Very informative and a very enjoyable read!

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensive liturgical history for Lutherans.

[JonM · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not Lutheran, but this is a really helpful book on christian liturgy, even though it leans in favor of Lutheran liturgical philosophy.