Seasons of Faith and Conscience: Explorations in Liturgical Direct Action

by Bill Wylie Kellermann

Seasons of Faith and Conscience challenges religious activists and the wider church with an answer to the What is the connection between faith and politics? "Every act of worship," Kellermann says, "every occasion where the sovereignty of the word of God is acknowledged, is always and everywhere expressly political." In a profound biblical and theological reflection, Kellermann begins by investigating the political implications of worship and liturgy, both in the Hebrew Bible and in the New Testament. He goes on to review the history of "confessional politics," those situations in which Christians have felt their historical situation to be so grave as to call into question the very identity of the church. Recent examples include the Confessing Church in Nazi Germany and the Kairos document from South Africa. Kellermann explores analogies in our own situation--the continuing arms buildup, the international debt system, and the "war against the poor" in the Third World. Seasons of Faith and Conscience concludes with a series of moving meditations on the key seasons and events of the liturgical Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost.

272 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1991

Reviews

[Dave McNeely · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful introduction to the philosophy behind "liturgical direct action," which recognizes the call to social change embedded within the Christian calendar. Wylie-Kellerman lays out the foundation behind such action as well as offering insightful examples and mini-homilies on the various seasons of the Christian year.