The Search for the Origins of Christian Worship Sources and Methods for the Study of Early Liturgy

by Bradshaw, Paul F.

• ISBN13: 9780195080513
• ISBN10: 0195080513
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1993-01-07
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Traditional liturgical scholarship has generally been marked by an attempt to fit together the various pieces of evidence for the practice of early Christian worship in such a way as to suggest that a single, coherent line of evolution can be traced from the apostolic age to the fourth century. Paul Bradshaw examines this methodology in the light of recent developments in Jewish liturgical scholarship, of current trends in New Testament studies, and of the nature of the source-documents themselves, and especially the ancient church orders. In its place he offers a guide to Christian liturgical origins which adopt a much more cautious approach, recognizing the limitations of what can truly be known, and takes seriously the clues pointing to the essentially variegated character of ancient Christian worship.

Table of Contents

Preface
Abbreviations
'The rock whence ye were hewn': The Jewish Background of Christian Worship	p. 1
Worship in the New Testament	p. 30
Ten Principles for Interpreting Early Christian Liturgical Evidence	p. 56
Ancient Church Orders: A Continuing Enigma	p. 80
Other Major Liturgical Sources	p. 111
The Evolution of Eucharistic Rites	p. 131
Christian Initiation: A Study in Diversity	p. 161
Liturgy and Time	p. 185
Postscript	p. 205
Index of Modern Authors	p. 206
Subject Index	p. 213
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.