Journey into the Heart of God: Living the Liturgical Year
"What is offered in this book is a unique blend of liturgical history with quite profound devotional and theological commentary on the liturgical year as it is currently practiced in Roman Catholic, American Episcopal and Lutheran traditions. Particularly valuable is the inclusion of reference to hymns commonly sung at the various seasons, together with extracts from patristic homilies and other material that illuminate the relevant liturgical texts." -- Canon Paul F. Bradshaw, Professor of Liturgy, University of Notre Dame"Philip Pfatteicher, a Professor of English and liturgical scholar, begins and ends his book with literature - from Rudyard Kipling to John Bunyan. In the pages between he takes us upon an extraordinary pilgrimage, followed by the Church each year and yet ever renewed in its life. This is a work of mature liturgical scholarship, which wears its learning lightly and never loses the wonder of the journey of the spirit, brought to life most vividly in familiar hymns to which it repeatedly returns and brings to life afresh as the Christian drama of salvation unfolds from Advent to Advent." -- Professor David Jasper, Professor of Literature and Theology, University of Glasgow; Distinguished Overseas Professor, Renmin University of China"Christians are a pilgrim people on the journey of faith. They are also a forgetful people who need constant reminders of their identity as God's people. In this detailed and helpful resource that utilizes liturgical texts, classic hymns, descriptions of customs, and commentary, Pfatteicher shows how the liturgical year is a reminder of the events of the Gospel, yet also makes them present as a living reality for the church today." -- Karen B. Westerfield Tucker, Professor of Worship, Boston University