When contemporary Christians worship (be they Catholic, Protestant,
Orthodox or Pentecostal), they engage in a variety of ritual acts
whose diversity and complexity may at first puzzle the observer. A
closer look reveals that worship incorporates a limited number of
major components which, repeated, form the backbone of the
ceremonies Christians enact when they meet on Sundays. The refined
typology of ritual acts described here focuses on six elementary
forms: praise, prayer, sermon, sacrifice, sacrament and spiritual
ecstasy. 'Sacred Games' argues that the essential meaning of
Christian ritual is embodied in these six elements, all of which
have their roots in ancient, pre-Christian ritual life. Each has
its own constituents, dynamics, meaning and distinct story.
Accordingly, this book is divided into six interpretative sections
which, using French, German and English sources and contrasting
past experience with the present, European with American, and
Catholic with Protestant, explain the meanings of each. Lang
uncovers their ancient biblical roots and follows their course
through history with special emphasis on biblical, historic and
contemporary forms.This is a pioneering book and a major scholarly
achievement: the first full-scale history and interpretation of a
collective spiritual act fraught with meaning. Well-illustrated,
written in a highly readable style and geared to the informed
general reader as well as to students and scholars, it should
become an indispensable additon to the broader study of
Christianity. Bernhard Lang is Professor of Religion at the
University of Paderborn, Germany and has taught in Tubingen, Mainz,
Philadelphia (Temple University) and Paris (the Sorbonne). He has
written many books, including (with Colleen McDannell) 'Heaven: A
History', published by Yale University Press and translated into
seven languages.
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