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The Metaverse promises the abolition of physical and temporal boundaries, people achieving what they want freely, and the feeling of immortality. In this paper I analyze the hyper-spatiotemporal nature of the Metaverse from a Christian anthropological perspective. I start by reviewing the Christian understanding of time and the Metaverse space–time construct. Next, I draw a parallel between digital immortality and the eternal life of the age to come. Finally, arguing that the Metaverse's offer of digital immortality is a palliative, discarnate surrogate, I discuss the Christian perspective on how eternity can be authentically anticipated while living in this world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eastern Churches in Russia and Ukraine are facing the fratricidal war caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. These Churches maintain closeness in faith and liturgy. The similarities of these Churches' teachings on war are juxtaposed with actual manifestations of their hierarchs' hostility. The analysis will be carried out from the perspective of the Roman Catholic Church, which is in close unity with the Eastern Churches and understands the context of faith but is not a party to the conflict, which makes it easier to remain objective in examining the phenomenon of fratricide. The first part of the article analyses the doctrinal and historical context. It helps to isolate the factors influencing the existence of enmity between doctrinally close Churches. The second part presents the biblical inspiration of Cain and Abel's story in a search for new ways to counteract this phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A critical assessment of the Episcopal Church's authorized prayers and liturgies pertaining to abortion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paul Ricœur's narrative hermeneutic provides a unique lens for interpreting liturgy as narrative. Liturgy begins with the collective, prefigured knowledge of the assembly and configures symbols, music, prayers, scriptures, and actions into an interpretive narrative. This process engages the liturgical assembly's imagination to synthesize its unique narrative of God's divine story. This paper explores the function of imagination in the formative process of liturgical narrative arguing that imagination shapes human knowing and being through liturgical narrative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Armenian Apostolic Christians in Istanbul implicitly assert their "right to the city" through the liturgical itinerary that moves around the megalopolis of Istanbul. Though the right to the city has been taken up in a plethora of ways, its applicability to religion and religious practices is underexplored. While many Armenians in the Republic of Turkey explicitly take up the language of rights, the urban liturgical movements described in this article do not sit easily with either ideas of universal human rights or the minority rights framework operative in the Republic of Turkey. The concept of the right to the city, which already sits at the limits of conventional notions of rights, helps articulate how these religious practices claim an urban minority presence. By considering Armenian Christian liturgical practice in Istanbul simultaneously as "stational liturgy" and as a claim to the "right to the city," this article offers an ethnographic account of urban minority presence‐making that encounters the legal strictures of rights discourse without being fully enmeshed in them. In so doing, the article uses the ethnography to make a broader argument about the limits of rights discourse to account fully for forms of presence‐making that are grounded in minority traditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many liturgies depend on speech. But how do those autistic people who do not speak, or speak only minimally, participate in liturgy? This article addresses how eight non- or minimally-speaking autistic people experience liturgy. Having used a range of methods for data collection, we identified two key themes in the data: the desire for (1) liturgical and (2) social participation. We interpret these findings in light of speech-act theory. We propose that conventions around what is interpreted as meaningful communication or prayer are socially constructed and can be shaped to take account of the contribution made by non- or minimally-speaking worshippers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pelagius is most famously known as the saint who was martyred by the tenth-century emir of Córdoba for not submitting to his advances. The story has fascinated historians of gender and sexuality for the ways in which it appears to challenge gendered standards of sanctity. But was this how Pelagius was remembered in the sources with which he was first venerated? This article looks beyond the hagiographical narrative that has mostly concerned historians to the existing liturgies for the saint as celebrated according to the Old Hispanic Rite, with a Mass and three distinct offices surviving in multiple manuscripts from early medieval Iberia. Close study of the liturgy reveals how liturgists consciously shaped the identity of Pelagius, borrowing materials and tropes from both male and female saints in order to anchor an unusual contemporary saint in old models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the significance of the concept of scandal in sacramental practice. Moral and canonical tradition and systematics presented in the Code of Canon Law offer significant evidence of the concept's influence; however, they must contend with the obfuscation and deflection enabled by a postmodern mentality. Deciphering the constituent elements of scandalum highlights the intrinsic connection between social harm and justice, the objective nature of prejudice, and the performative influence of deviant conduct. In the sacramental sphere, the defense of the conscience and righteousness of agents is imposed by the very sacredness of the action, promoting the full, active and conscious participation of all. On the contrary, the loss of the communal and supportive influence of the liturgy induces a solipsistic protagonism of the faithful and an undue privatization of worship. Continuity and coherence between doctrine, discipline and practice seems to be the surest and most reliable guarantee of the heritage of celebration and pastoral bonum agere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Rejoice, Texandria, for Oda!" Thus begins the series of chants and readings commemorating the virgin St Oda, patron of the village that took her name—Sint-Oedenrode—in the late medieval liturgy of the town of 's-Hertogenbosch. Overt praise for the surrounding region, Texandria, extending across the northern limits of the duchy of Brabant and diocese of Liège, is a recurring theme in the liturgy inspired by the saint's legend. Yet how did Oda, of Scottish origin, become so closely associated with this remote region? And what was the significance of her liturgical veneration in 's-Hertogenbosch, to which Sint-Oedenrode was enfranchised? Exemplifying interactions between central and secondary places within a specific region, this study argues for the relevance of the historical approach to urban–rural dynamics in medieval hagiography and its related liturgy. Recognition that smaller towns and villages played important roles in regional networks prompts more focused attention to regional priorities in the legends and liturgies of local saints. That Oda's cult is attested by a diversity of extant documentary evidence—historical, hagiographic, and liturgical, including newly discovered liturgical readings—facilitates interpretation of her veneration in 's-Hertogenbosch and of the intertextual connections between her legend and those of other saints, notably Lambert, associated with the duchy and diocese. As suggested by this example, regionalism merits greater scrutiny as an integral component of civic religion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liturgy was the perfect and unparalleled medium for public relations in the Middle Ages, and when it came to relics, it could transform any stone, bone, or a piece of wood into an object worthy of devotion. This article revolves around the activating force of the relics of Mary Magdalene in medieval France. It examines two liturgies—from Vézelay and from Saint-Maximin in Provence—honouring the saint, representing two distinct responses whose character reflects the priorities of the communities that produced them and the agendas that set them in motion. Liturgy was accorded a special role in bolstering the claims of Provence over the corporeal presence of Mary Magdalene in its midst, with liturgists adopting a more audacious and unreserved vocabulary to validate these claims over those of Vézelay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catholic education faces a number of serious challenges including cultural and political disrespect for, and hostility towards religion in general and Catholicism in particular, and lack of knowledge of, and commitment to, Catholic beliefs and values among Catholic educational administrators, school managers, teachers, and other staff, as well as the diminishing percentage of even nominally Catholic staff. I set these matters within the context of broader challenges surrounding Catholic education, deriving from three cultural movements: the reformation, the emergence of liberalism, and the scientific revolution, which undermined the synthesis of scripture, theology, and speculative and practical philosophy achieved in the high middle-ages. I propose in response a creative critique showing that what is of authentic value in modernity can be accommodated within the traditional synthesis. I also connect that tradition with strands of eastern philosophy suggesting that the movement of people, ideas, and traditions from Eastern cultures into historically Western societies provides an opportunity for further synthesis of a wisdom-based approach to education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Giorgio Agamben's references to a 'coming community' keep readers hunting for its characteristics, specifically for prescriptions that would signal how its political culture might be developed and maintained. His ambivalence toward Augustine prevents him, as well as readers, from discovering contributions the prelate's preferences for compassionate collectives – which especially mark his polemical treatises, correspondence, and sermons – might make to giving a shape to the coming community that comports with many of Agamben's other politically significant remarks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the impact of the war in Ukraine on Orthodox Christian liturgy in the country. It explores whether liturgy should respond to war or provide a respite from violence. The article discusses the different denominations within Ukrainian Orthodoxy and their competing notions of history, identity, and victimhood, and how these differences affect liturgical practices such as language and the veneration of saints. It emphasizes that the divisions within Ukraine are not solely caused by external forces but have existed within Ukrainian Orthodoxy itself. The article also discusses the liturgical practices and commemoration of national traumas in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), highlighting the OCU's focus on Ukrainian distinctiveness and secular memory culture. The war has caused upheaval in both churches' liturgical practices, with the OCU making changes to emphasize Ukrainian identity and distance from Russia, while the UOC has been more resistant to change. The article also mentions the role of monasticism in shaping liturgical practices and the potential impact of political developments on religious freedom in Ukraine. It explores the conflict in Ukraine as a reflection of a fault line in World Orthodoxy and discusses various sources and concepts related to Ukrainian liturgical narratives, victimhood nationalism, and the distinctiveness of Christianity in Ukraine. The text also touches on the division within the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the impact of the conflict on religious communities. [Extracted from the article]

This paper explores the experiential reality surrounding the Divine Liturgy, a Byzantine rite in Orthodox Christianity that has remained central to Eastern practice globally since Late Antiquity. The article draws on multi-sited ethnography in the glocal context of the Orthodox Church of Finland (OCF), a national church of minority and a site of multicultural interaction. Our analysis shows participants articulate their experiences with the Liturgy in an epistemology of interiority by which (1) they constantly, if unevenly, and agentically engage with the Liturgy in a form of individual, vernacular artistry. This interiority is (2) both sensorial and interpretative, and (3) ambivalently grounded in motifs of being "at home" and, at the same time, "on a journey." That is, participants from different backgrounds make a connection to the Liturgy both as a spiritual and a literal home, relating to different elements—Finnish, Karelian, Byzantine, and Church Slavonic—in its ritualistic aesthetics. At the same time, Liturgy emerges as a perpetual journey of new openings and glimpses, informed by past experiences and life trajectories, and participants relate to these two aspects simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Christian Easter is a divine act of salvation that redeems fallen humanity and it is not only about the resurrection of Jesus. The Easter liturgy has different ways of representing this event, but the resurrection itself is not specifically depicted. The Easter Vigil remains the core of the Easter celebration and preserves the synthetic vision of the theology of the early Church. During the Middle Ages, the Exsultet of the Easter praise was incorporated into the Roman rite, which is a highlight of the Easter proclamation. In the Roman liturgy, the Easter Vigil speaks of the resurrection of Christ and emphasizes its importance in the concluding Mass. [Extracted from the article]

The Old Hispanic liturgy for Córdoban saints Faustus, Januarius, and Martialis associates the martyrs with the three men thrown into the fiery furnace (Daniel 3). This article explores the compilation choices and musical strategies that establish this biblical parallel, their possible motivations, and how a liturgy emphasizing these biblical heroes would have been received by the community that used it. The chants and prayers for Faustus, Januarius, and Martialis are borrowed from the liturgy for another trio of Iberian saints (Fructuosus, Augurius, and Eulogius), and I argue that these chants may have been selected to capitalize on the layers of cultural associations that had accrued to Daniel 3. Contemporary biblical illuminations, illustrated Beatus Apocalypse commentaries, and anti-Islamic polemics alike emphasize the Babylonian location of the three men in the furnace. In anti-Islamic polemic, Babylon becomes Córdoba, the capital of the Umayyad caliphate. These textual and artistic traditions were prominent at the monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla, the presumed origin of the earliest witness to the surviving liturgy for Faustus, Januarius, and Martialis. After newly identifying anti-Islamic polemical aspects of the saints’ passio, I propose that the choice to highlight Daniel 3 in Faustus, Januarius, and Martialis’s liturgy emphasized the saints’ Córdoban origin and inscribed their story within the contemporary contexts of Muslim-Christian relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Do you also want to scroll away?" by Konstanze Kemnitzer deals with participation and engagement in online liturgies. Online liturgies are seen as "city churches of digital urbanity" and are part of the digital marketplace of world society. Algorithms count user interactions such as likes, comments, and shares as signs of participation. In order to activate user engagement, online events must be interesting and imaginative. It is emphasized that online liturgies are temporary incorporations into the "imagination of the Gospel" and offer users interactive opportunities. The text deals with participation in online liturgies and emphasizes that participation in such events should not be prematurely devalued as deficient. People can also be intensively involved in liturgy online, while others who are physically present may be less involved. The reactions of participants in online chats are monitored by algorithms that pay attention to the quantity and pace of interaction. The text also emphasizes the importance of imagination and individual imagination in participating in worship, whether online or offline. People seek experiences that fulfill their needs and seek belonging. Participation in worship can be described as an individual sequence of imagination loops, in which people immerse themselves in the imaginative world of faith and resurface. Research on human imagination and its significance for reception is promising. The article discusses the importance of imagination in digital culture and emphasizes the need to adapt liturgical events in online worship to people's imagination. It is argued that both immersion and emersion should be considered in the design of online liturgies in order to support people in their autonomy. The importance of protection against voyeurism and vandalism in online liturgies is also highlighted, and the need for ethical reflection on the use of the internet for liturgical purposes is emphasized. The authors suggest establishing transparent communication, contact persons, and protective mechanisms to make participation in online worship safer. [Extracted from the article]

The article "What is not written in liturgical books" deals with old and new rituals in local church liturgy. Four examples of such rituals are mentioned: the Peace Light, the laying of the nativity scene, the burial of the cross, and the arrangement of the Gloria. These rituals are not recorded in liturgical books, but still play an important role in local liturgy. The article emphasizes that these rituals and customs represent an important part of popular piety and give prayer life a local and homely touch. [Extracted from the article]

The article "Between Lifeworld and Other Place" deals with the conversation between those engaged in pastoral work and liturgical scholars about successful and appropriate liturgical celebrations. It is emphasized that the quality of liturgy needs to be improved and that people have difficulties identifying with the language used in liturgy. Liturgy should cultivate a special language that connects us with the experience of God, but also require formats that engage more with people's lives. The importance of relational experiences and recognition in liturgy is also discussed. It is suggested that the joint preparation of liturgical celebrations can be fruitful and that the selection of music in liturgy can be controversial. A competition for new liturgical songs is also proposed. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the structure and possible weaknesses of the liturgy on Palm Sunday. It is suggested to refocus the liturgy on the entry into Jerusalem and to read the Passion story on a different day of Holy Week. In times of the COVID-19 pandemic, some communities have chosen to emphasize the blessing of palm branches in their celebrations. The historical development of the Palm Sunday liturgy shows regional and temporal differences in the emphasis on the commemoration of the entry and the Passion. The liturgy of Palm Sunday is based on the Jerusalem festival liturgy and aims to retrace the life and Passion of Christ. [Extracted from the article]

The article "Crib, Grave, and Palms" deals with the tendencies in liturgical celebrations and their materialization, historicization, and particularization. Liturgical science examines the relationship between liturgy and popular piety and seeks to overcome polarizing oppositions. The importance of rituals, symbols, and psalms in liturgy is discussed. The liturgical celebrations related to biblical events are realized through dramatic-liturgical actions, with material symbols being increasingly used. The theological connections and transformative dynamics of liturgy deserve special attention. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the relevance of Pius Parsch's "Volksliturgie" (liturgy of the people) in today's time. It examines how Parsch implemented the reform project of "Volksliturgie" and which elements contributed to its lasting effectiveness. The text deals with the significance of liturgical preaching, liturgical education, and a liturgical community. The question is raised whether Parsch's approaches are still relevant in the postmodern era and motivates the search for a liturgy that can connect with people. [Extracted from the article]

The article "What Nehemiah 8 Makes Us Think About" deals with the Old Testament scripture Nehemiah 8 and its significance for liturgical scripture proclamation. The text shows that scripture proclamation takes place in a decentralized manner and in groups. Questions are raised about Bible communication, such as who should have access to it and who should carry it out. It is emphasized that scripture proclamation should not have any access restrictions, but it is also pointed out that there may be people who have difficulties understanding the scripture due to their cognitive abilities. The article also highlights the staging of scripture proclamation in Nehemiah 8 and emphasizes the importance of community and solidarity that can arise through hearing and understanding the Bible. It is noted that the needs of the people regarding the hearing of scripture should be taken into account and that the appreciation of the word of God should be expressed through festive acts and qualified personnel. The text concludes with the question of what happens when hearing the scripture is no longer a need of the people and calls for reflection on the significance of the Bible in liturgy. [Extracted from the article]

The article "Words that Breathe Life" discusses a conversation between Sascha Heinze and Alfred Jokesch about the formulation of liturgical texts in communities. The "House of Silence" near Graz has published a collection of 35 Eucharistic prayers in order to find a more contemporary language that addresses current concepts of God and the world. The goal is to establish a connection between the sacred and the everyday. The authors also discuss the significance of church spaces and the diversity of images of God in our time. It is emphasized that language and imagery in theology and liturgy should be adapted to the present time. Heaven and hell should not be understood literally, but as metaphorical images of language that should be related to life here and now. It is emphasized that presence and experientiality are important in liturgy and that language should be understandable and appealing. It is also discussed that theology and prayers should evolve to reflect contemporary theology and worldviews. [Extracted from the article]

The article addresses the legal issues related to the sermon which is preached during the liturgy that is celebrated after the Second Vatican Council according to the 1962 books of the Roman Rite. The rubrics of these books did not include the sermon as an integral part of the liturgy, and therefore its delivery was often catechistic and non-homiletic in nature. Therefore, a research problem emerges regarding the necessity to take into account the current disciplinary norms concerning the homily, which is nowadays treated as a sacramental act of worship. The analyses lead to the conclusion that the sermon in the liturgy according to the pre-conciliar books remains an unintegral part of the celebration. However, the connection between the preached word and the celebrated liturgy should now be taken into account. When preaching a sermon within the liturgy in question, the disciplinary norms of the current Code of Canon Law should be observed. However, the integrity (shape) of the rites contained in the 1962 books should also be preserved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the concept of "organic development" in the liturgical reforms of the Catholic Church, particularly in relation to the Second Vatican Council. The author discusses the historical roots of this concept in German neoclassicism and the writings of Joachim Winckelmann. The article also examines how organic development is understood in the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy and the General Instruction of the Roman Missal. The author highlights the complexities and varying interpretations of organic development in contemporary liturgical writings. Additionally, the article discusses the concepts of "noble simplicity" and their application in liturgical reform, tracing their origins back to the Roman Rite. The text concludes by suggesting further exploration of the relationship between organic development and noble simplicity in German neoclassicism and their impact on liturgical reform. [Extracted from the article]

Presently, many Asian churches continue to depend on translated Western congregational songs in their public Christian worship. This essay investigates the historical development of localized Asian Congregational Songs describing how this development in worship music-making was influenced by the reorientation in missiological thinking in the early twentieth century that bore fruit in the 1960s as churches in the Global South became autonomous. Thereafter demonstrate how this genre of congregational songs, guided by theological hermeneutical principles, can offer a viable pathway for contextually determined Asian Christian identity in the twenty-first century through the postcolonial hybrid congregational song form—a genre that holds in balance the original cultural identity of the song and the adaptability of the genre to navigate cultural boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tridentine Latin Mass (TLM) is rapidly growing in popularity. The movement that has formed around it has grown so attached to it as to threaten the unity of the Catholic Church. I attended TLMs in multiple distinct settings, studied the worshippers' ordinary theology, and proceeded hermeneutically using the Circle Method. The most useful insight to emerge from this is that the theological aesthetics of the post-Conciliar Mass could be more deeply symbolic and synergistic with Conciliar intellectual theology. The TLM's aesthetics offer worshippers assurances of certainty, but these assurances are empty. Therefore, parishes should facilitate the self-expression of the faithful, both to foster engagement with mystery and to inspire liturgical aesthetics. From these expressions, contextually meaningful symbols will emerge, which, through communal discernment guided by the Holy Spirit, may prove worthy to the task of enhancing liturgical aesthetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Psalter of the current Liturgia Horarum does not contain the Imprecatory Psalms, which for many centuries were part of the Prayer of the office. This modification of the Psalter caused a discussion among researchers about the legitimacy of the post--conciliar Reform of the Psalter of the Church's Daily Prayer. In this contribution, I would like to outline the significance of the prayer of Imprecatory Psalms in the history of the liturgy and clarify the motives for the modification of the Psalter after the Second Vatican Council. The indicated interpretations of the Imprecatory Psalms lead to their understanding, and today's believer can pray them with benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the role of the chaplain in Catholic schools in England and some of the contemporary challenges. There is a focus on two issues in particular: the celebration of liturgy and the participation of non-Catholic children and the inclusion of LGBTQ+ children in the Catholic school. This article draws out some of the tensions between the pastoral sensitivities around participation in liturgy and the directives of the Prayer and Liturgy Directory and the complexity of the legal and pastoral inclusion of LGBTQ+ children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the late 1960s, the American Jewish community has worked to find creative ways to include lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, Queer+ (LGBTQ+) people in community practices and Jewish liturgy. The pioneering egalitarian denomination was and remains the Reform Jewish Movement, which promotes and supports gender equality and sexual diversity. This paper proposes a typology of queer Jewish liturgy based on classification into two categories: time and space. By exploring these specific categories, the texts expose a bipolar relationship between LGBTQ+s and divine individuals, LGBTQ+s and heterosexual/cisgender individuals, and LGBTQ+s and themselves. By analyzing particular queer prayers, I argue that this liturgy, created by American Jewish clergy, is characterized by inherent structural contradictions, which reflect tendencies and changes not only in non‐halachic Jewish communities but also in queer ideology and gay politics. Thus, the textual dimension is revealed as a vivid landscape that characterizes the dynamics of LGBTQ+ Jewish people between temporal, fragile, and safe spaces, painful memories and proud feelings, and victim consciousness and social agency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Catholic pilgrimage from Sali (island of Dugi Otok, Croatia) to the island of Piškera is embedded in the historical connections between these two locations, as Piškera was inhabited by fishermen from Sali for nearly three centuries. While sailing through the archipelago that no longer belongs to them, the pilgrims from Sali sing. During Mass, they perform a sung liturgy rooted in polyphonic folk singing; after Mass, the singing usually continues up until they depart. In this article, I argue that this community embodies its presence in the archipelago and creates a certain atmosphere through singing, while simultaneously inscribing meaning into the pilgrimage itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The text just quoted constitutes an introduction and corazóna framework for this article. Throughout the pages we will try to discover and get to know the relationship of the Founder of Opus Dei with the liturgy, through the most significant biographical aspects, especially his relationship with the liturgical movement, complemented by references to his liturgical thought. The Author's love for the liturgy will lead him to "relate" with many of the intuitions of the liturgical movement already in the 1930s and will lead him to a preaching and liturgical teachings that will precede, at times, the liturgical magisterium of the Second Vatican Council. This same love for the liturgy, as an ecclesial reality, is what moved him to promote an orderly and progressive introduction of the liturgical reform in the celebrations of the centers of Opus Dei, as requested by the Holy See. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the little-studied thirteenth-century Arabic inscriptions of the monastery of Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas in Burgos, Spain. Despite their creation during an intensifying Christian–Muslim conflict, they were part of a decorative programme that relied on shared religious ideas and iconography. Their incorporation reinforced daily, funerary and commemorative monastic liturgies. While the article explores the Islamic provenance of these inscriptions, it also reveals the overlooked Arabic New Testament as a source. The inscriptions' provenance, however, was deliberately obscured first and foremost by the nature of their visual display. Examining the relationship of the Latin to the Arabic inscriptions illustrates an unusual symbiosis between the meaning of the inscriptions, the iconography and the monastery's ritual. This symbiosis was formulated through a highly selective editorial process on the part of the Christian patrons, and predicated on their knowledge of the finer points of Islamic doctrine and cultural practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Music has played a fundamental role in the liturgical activities of the Methodist Church Ghana since its establishment. Thus, this study aimed to gain insight into the integration and significance of various musical genres including hymns, danceable songs, and praises and worship songs within the church's liturgical practices. The primary objective of this study was to document the historical development of these forms and clarify their functional significance in religious worship, taking into account the wider socio-cultural environment of the Ghanaian population. This study utilized a methodological approach that involved the use of direct observations and qualitative interviews. Primary data was collected from 28 participants sampled from chapels located in three regions of Ghana. The primary data was further enhanced by conducting a complete literature review, which included reputable sources relevant to the topic. The findings emphasized the customized musical choices influenced by profound philosophical principles that inform the selection of each musical style for certain liturgical occasions. The research concludes by suggesting that church leaders should take an active role in communicating the importance of these musical traditions to the congregation, assuring their comprehension and continued relevance in worship services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study entitled "Dominicans Towards the Liturgical Celebration of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (13th -16th Centuries)" presents the position of the Order of Preachers towards the celebration of the Immaculate Conception. It reveals the reasons that influenced the negative attitude of Dominicans towards this truth of faith. Apart from the negative opinion of St. Thomas Aquinas on this topic, it also presents other, no less important motives that contributed to taking an irreconcilable position on the liturgical celebration of Conceptio Mariae, which have so far remained unknown. The analysis carried out allowed to discover that the unfavorable position of the Order towards the feast of the Immaculate Conception was not only the result of Dominicans identifying with the doctrine of St. Thomas Aquinas, but his motives lay much deeper and touched key aspects of the broadly understood theology and liturgy of that time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The motu proprio Traditionis custodes reordered the law on celebrating the pre-conciliar Roman liturgical rites. This legislative change, seemingly intended to lead to a "single and identical prayer" or unique liturgical expression of the Roman Rite, relies on an ecclesiological justification concerning the unity and communion of the Church. Analyzing the motu proprio and its elaborations in light of a "three-tier" ecclesiological model rooted in the documents of the Second Vatican Council shows that the unity and communion of no Church in this model is tied to the existence of a unique liturgical expression. Rather, the legislation's justification relies on a pre-conciliar ecclesiological outlook that posits the existence of Churches defined by rites such as a "Church of the Roman Rite." Due to this reliance, the norms have farreaching negative consequences for the Roman Rite and the wider Church. Legislative actions on liturgical issues within the Latin Church must have a broader ecclesiological context, and the past and present experiences of the other Churches in the Catholic communion show that a vast liturgical diversity already exists in the Church and does so without harm to Catholic unity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper intends to analyze an episode in the life of Ignatian cult objects that had been used to house churches and schools of the order in the River Plate territory. Our protagonists will be images and objects of worship that once had a special significance due to their centrality in composing the liturgy and their proximity to the sacred. Despite their heterogeneity, all these objects, made of rich metals, had formed a River Plate Jesuitical material culture that had exalted the identity of the order. From a perspective focused on material culture, we will analyze how, once the process of managing temporalities began, these objects traveled an unsuspected path that altered their biographies, their symbolic meanings, and their valuations as sacred goods. From then on, desacralized and defunctionalized, these pieces went through processes of embargoes, commodification and disputes over their possession until their subsequent disappearance. Recomposing these paths will allow us to demonstrate the importance that these objects had in composing worship and liturgy followed by historical processes that led to one of the largest looting and diasporas of artistic heritage in the 18th century within the framework of its growing desecration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The African Pentecostal pneumatological experiences and the hesitancy to engage with the “other-worldly” (earth-based/earthly) matters have contributed to the slow uptake to contribute to the ecological crisis. An intentional, comprehensive, practical approach is needed to alleviate the ecological crisis. For the ecological strategies to be effective, they should blend into the churchs spiritual life, such as worship. The starting point is to identify and amplify any ecological notions that the church uses consciously or unconsciously. This study uses qualitative data to explore how hymnal worship songs construct and dialogue ecotheological notions. It concludes that bringing ecology and theology together within the church worship liturgy is an appropriate strategy for churches to contribute to the ecological crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite myriad of studies on the interface between Christianity and African Indigenous Religion (AIR), there still is an unexplored lacuna in contending themes. In the vast majority of deficit-prone literature, such themes as symbolism, liturgy, sacrifice, saints, sinners, and ontology, among others, are far from balanced. The extant gap has further increased the befuddling perception of African traditional religion by indigenous Christians as belonging to the “Kingdom of Satan” that needs salvation through the instrumentality of Christianity. But irrespective of the waves of evangelism in the continent, many Africans have remained attached to their indigenous religious practices. There has been continuity in practice because the two religions’ themes are similar in content, context, and teachings. This study intends to provide insightful knowledge and awareness about some of these themes and their meeting points. This knowledge will bridge the gap between the two religions and highlight Africa’s contributions to human ideas and civilisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the establishment of the Czechoslovak Church (in January 1920), which introduced using the vernacular language in the liturgy, the Czech and Moravian bishops requested permission to extend the use of the vernacular language in the liturgy and, following the Cyril and Methodius tradition, to allow the celebration of the Old Slavonic liturgy. The Holy See allowed some extension of the use of the vernacular language in the liturgy and the celebration of the Old Slavonic liturgy in selected places on selected days (approved in May 1920). This was done especially for apologetic reasons, to prevent a greater exodus of the faithful to the Czechoslovak Church. This permission was also meant to be an example of the Holy See's friendliness towards Czechoslovakia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on a specific edition of the Dutch liturgical form for the celebration of the Lord's Supper. This edition from 1568 contains an extension concerning the words of distribution and the thanksgiving. This modification was done by Dathenus himself. In terms of its origin, this specific edition fits well within the patterns in the genesis of the (Dutch) form for the celebration of the Lord's Supper itself. The content of the extension includes an invitation, an expansion of the words of distribution, and instruction in the thanksgiving regarding communion with Christ, the eschatological perspective, and living in gratitude. Various motives played a role in this extension, both in terms of the context of its origin and its context of use. This specific text is relevant as it provides more information about the author's working method, the influence of the London tradition, and a better understanding of later synods and editions of the psalm book. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "If Christ truly lives in us..." discusses the significance of the contemplative dimension of liturgy for individual spiritual life and the Church. The author, Gunda Brüske, combines the thoughts of Paul, Romano Guardini, and Saint Benedict in her spiritual encouragement. She emphasizes that the Church needs people who nourish themselves from deep spiritual sources such as liturgy in order to strengthen their baptismal dignity and vocation. The significance of "Christ in me" and Guardini's anthropological approaches are also described. The liturgy is described as a means of gathering and expressing the presence of God, and it is emphasized that nothing should be preferred over worship and Christ. [Extracted from the article]