Life cycles in Jewish and Christian worship
By: edited by Paul F. Bradshaw and Lawrence A. Hoffman.
Contributors: Bradshaw, Paul F.; Hoffman, Lawrence A., 1942-
Series: Two liturgical traditions ;; v. 4
Publisher: University of Notre Dame Press
Published: 1996
Place of publication: Notre Dame
Language: eng
Number of pages: 303
Subjects: Occasional services.; Rites and ceremonies.; Life cycle, Human -- Religious aspects -- Christianity.; Life cycle, Human -- Religious aspects -- Judaism.; Judaism -- Customs and practices.; Judaism -- Liturgy.
Description: More than a series of rites of passage through the landmarks of growing up and growing old, Jewish and Christian life-cycle rituals give the members of each religious tradition theological and ritualized definitions of what a life should be. In this volume, the fourth in the acclaimed series "Two Liturgical Traditions," eight scholars explore the models of human life implicit in Judaism and Christianity by unraveling and exploring the evolution and current condition of their life-cycle liturgies.

The essays presented here emphasize the wholeness of a life as illustrated by the religious metaphors inherent in life-cycle rites. The contributors examine the history and shape of each life-cycle rite - including the rituals and practices associated with birth, adolescence, marriage, sickness, and death - and analyze the theological message that each rite represents.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.