Father Anscar Chupungco fondly recalls his first class as a student at the Pontifical Liturgical Institute in 1965. Professor Salvatore Marsili 'famed theologian, liturgist, and cofounder of the institute 'entered the lecture hall, and after a prolonged and awkward silence finally asked, And so, what is liturgy?"

This seemingly simple question underlies Chupungco's untiring love for liturgy and his lifetime of searching for answers. His is a passion deeply rooted in tradition, which is evident in this volume. Relying on Scripture, patristic writers, and conciliar and postconciliar documents 'and with great skill, prudence, and the fundamental virtue of obedience 'he carefully examines current liturgical trends that are the subject of fierce debate. At a time when we focus so intently on the debate itself, Chupungco cautions us to remember: "At the end of the day what matters are not personal opinions but what truly contributes to making the prayer of the Church an encounter with the person of Christ." It is this most sacred encounter that is at the heart of "What, Then, Is Liturgy?" And it is this encounter that will lead us day by day to the ultimate heavenly liturgy, our eternal and perfect offering of praise to God.

"Anscar Chupungco is a Benedictine of the Abbey of Our Lady of Montserrat in Manila. He is former president of the Pontifical Liturgical Institute in Rome, where he taught history of the liturgy and liturgical inculturation. Chupungco was Executive Secretary of the Philippine Episcopal Commission on Liturgy for eighteen years and is currently Secretary of the Asian Liturgy Forum. He has served as consultor to both the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education, was a member of the Advisory Committee of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL) for ten years, and for some time served as Chair of ICEL's Translations and ReVisions Subcommittee. Chupungco edited the five-volume "Handbook for Liturgical Studies "and is author of "Liturgical Inculturation" (both published by Liturgical Press), Cultural Adaptation of the Liturgy, and Liturgies of the Future.""

In studying the history of the vernacular in worship beginning with the Christian Scriptures, Dynamic Equivalence uncovers the power of a living language to transform communities of faith. How we pray when we come together for common worship has always been significant, but the issue of liturgical language received unprecedented attention in the twentieth century when Latin Rite Roman Catholic worship was opened to the vernacular at Vatican II. Worshiping in one's native tongue continues to be of issue as the churches debate over what type of vernacular should be employed. Dynamic Equivalence traces the history of liturgical language in the Western Christian tradition as a dynamic and living reality. Particular attention is paid to the twentieth century Vernacular Society within the United States and how the vernacular issue was treated at Vatican II, especially within an ecumenical context. The first chapter offers a short history of the vernacular from the first century through the twentieth. The second and third chapters contain a significant amount of archival material, much of which has never been published before. These chapters tell the story of a mixed group of Catholic laity and clergy dedicated to promoting the vernacular during the first half of the twentieth century. Chapter Four begins with a survey of vernacular promotion in the Reformation itself, explores the issue of vernacular worship as an instrument of ecumenical hospitality and concludes with some examples of ecumenical liturgical cooperation in the years immediately preceding the Council. The final chapter treats the vernacular debate at the Council with attention to the Vernacular Society's role in helping with theimplementation of the vernacular. Chapters are "A Brief History of the Vernacular," "The Origins of the Vernacular Society: 1946-1956," "Pressure for the Vernacular Mounts: 1956-1962," "Vernacular Worship and Ecumenical Exchange," "Vatican II and the Vindication of the Vernacular: 1962-1965" Keith F. Pecklers, SJ, SLD, is professor of liturgy at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and professor of liturgical history at the Pontifical Liturgical Institute of Sant 'Anselmo. He is the author of The Unread Vision: The Liturgical Movement in the United States of America 1926-1955, and co-editor of Liturgy for the New Millennium: A Commentary on the Revised Sacramentary, published by The Liturgical Press.

What is worship? Keith F. Pecklers, SJ, answers this important theological question by focusing on the basics of Christian worship. Beginning with the definitions of such terms as ritual" and *liturgy - he writes in a very readable style about the historical/theological foundations of worship, tracing the evolution of Christian liturgy from the earliest centuries of the Christian era up to the reforms of Vatican II.

Pecklers focuses on such liturgical issues of importance in our post-Vatican II Church as: inculturation, popular religion, and the social responsibility that authentic worship requires. He also considers some key social issues of the twenty-first century and their impact on our worship: the break-up of the stale parish community and decline in church attendance; the clergy shortage and priestless parishes; ecumenical liturgical cooperation and interreligious dialogue; the credibility of preaching; and how worship welcomes or excludes the marginated.

Chapters are *Worship and Ritual, - *Worship in Development and Decline, - *Worship in Crisis and Challenge, - *Worship in Transition, - *Worship and Culture, - *Worship and Popular Religion, - *Worship and Society, - and *Worship and the Future of Christianity. -

"Keith F. Pecklers, SJ, SLD, is professor of liturgy at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and professor of liturgical history at the Pontifical Liturgical Institute of Saint'Anselmo. Liturgical Press recently published his book "Dynamic Equivalence." He received Catholic Press Association awards for two other Liturgical Press publications, "The Unread Vision" and "Liturgy for the New Millennium."

The Second Vatican Council changed the practice of liturgy. Conciliar developments, however, did not emerge in a vacuum; they were the result of years of hard work that involved thousands of people across the United States and the world. As a social history of the liturgical movement, The Unread Vision introduces readers to the movement's pioneers and promoters and to the issues that emerged from the movement in the U.S. in the years 1926-1955. The Unread Vision explores the foundational years of the movement and its major themes and discusses how the movement, its goals and principles, was received by the broader community of American Catholics. Chapters include The European Roots:1833-1925," "The Beginnings of a Movement: Toward Full and Active Participation in the Liturgy," "The Liturgical Movement and Social Justice," "The Liturgical Movement and Education," and "The Liturgical Movement and the Arts. "Biographies on leading figures of the liturgical movement, as well as histories of related organizations, are also included. Keith F. Pecklers, SJ, is professor of liturgical theology and history at the Pontifical Liturgical Institute, Rome, Italy. He is also the author of "Liturgy from Trent to Vatican II" included in theHandbook of Liturgical Studies published by The Liturgical Press. "