for women. Men cannot experience the physical side of childbirth, but as potential fathers, men can experience the hope and the fear, the loss and the grief. Although medical treatment concentrates on the potential mother, liturgy should offer support
The Corpus Christi Devotion
Gender, Liturgy, and Authority among Dominican Nuns in Castile in the Middle Ages
Mercedes Pérez Vidal
in the analysis of liturgy and religious images and in the functionality of art and architecture. The particular case of the Corpus Christi festival reflects this lack of attention. Nevertheless, this feast and devotional practice had great importance
Psalms 113–118
Qualified Praise?
Jeremy Schonfield
Psalms 113–118 appear as a group in the synagogue liturgy, where they are known collectively as ‘Hallel’, usually interpreted as ‘praise’. Some worshippers regard this name as a justification for viewing the psalms as triumphalist and singing them
John D. Rayner
In the history of Progressive Jewish liturgy, Britain’s Liberal movement has, in spite of its relatively small numbers, played a unique role. For one thing, it has taken cognisance of the liturgical traditions of both of the two main centres of Progressive Judaism: Germany and the United States of America. (Britain’s Reform movement, by contrast, has preferred to do ‘its own thing’, with little reference to what has been done elsewhere.) For another thing, its publication in 1967 of Service of the Heart marked the beginning of a new trend, which has since manifested itself throughout the Progressive Jewish world.
Torsten Cress
Today, the insight that material objects are an important part of social life is widely recognized in the social and cultural sciences. But how exactly do things affect the microlevel of social interaction? And by which methodological means can their significance for it be explored? Based on a study of Catholic liturgy, an ethnographic approach is developed that allows for systematic investigations into the role material objects play in social situations. Using Erving Goffman's frame analysis as a theoretical tool, it assumes that things are constitutive of social situations while in turn helping participants make sense of these situations. Conversely, the impact of things is considered closely tied to their particular situational involvement. In order to explore the connections between materiality, meaning, and use, I suggest investigating a number of closely related aspects: the contribution of things to the specifics of the situation in question; the bodily practices in which they are involved; the physical environment in which they are embedded; the physical qualities they possess; and the social definitions tied to them.
Prayer Book Reform in Europe, Continued
Bibliography and Developments in Progressive Jewish Liturgy, 1967–2015
Annette M. Boeckler
denominations. It was the liturgy that was known to the founders of new German Liberal congregations or egalitarian minyanim in Munich, Frankfurt and southern Berlin. The new production of German books started in the mid 1990s.] סדר התפלות Shabbat Prayers
Assessing and Adapting Rituals That Reproduce a Collectivity
The Large-Scale Rituals of the Repkong Tantrists in Tibet
Nicolas Sihlé
In discussions on processes of ritual assessment and modification, the rituals examined are most often of a ‘performance-centered’ nature. 1 I am drawing here on Atkinson’s (1989: 14–15) useful distinction between ‘liturgy-centered’ and
'. . . And a New Spirit I Will Put Within You'
The Contribution of Rabbi John D. Rayner to the Creation of Liberal Prayer Books
Charles H. Middleburgh
'And a new spirit I will put within you' salutes John Rayner's contribution to the Liberal liturgies of the United Kingdom over more than forty years. It explains his ethos as a liturgist and quotes from his writings about liturgy as well as some of his original prayers. This is a heartfelt tribute from a devoted disciple to a master liturgist.
Jens Kreinath and Refika Sariönder
meydan and began to sing ardently a mourning hymn into the microphone. This incident marked a spontaneous initiative of a participant that obviously was not part of the liturgy. Still, it did not cause any rupture during this ritual sequence. Wrapping up
The Liturgical Understanding of Psalms in Judaism
Demonstrated with Samples from Psalms 90–106, with a Special Focus on Psalm 92, Mizmor shir leYom haShabbat
Annette M. Boeckler
The usage of a text within liturgy adds new meanings to the text. This article gives an overview of the understandings of Psalm 92 within its Jewish liturgical usages. The understanding is influenced by the general attitude towards psalms in Jewish liturgy, by popular interpretations in the Midrash (Jewish legends), by Kabbalistic views and by its meaning within halakhah (religious law), but also by the music that is commonly attributed to it within the service. The article shows how a text that originally had no relationship with Shabbat became, thanks to its headline, an important study text about the essence of Shabbat.