Mediating Mysteries, Understanding Liturgies

"The liturgist is a general practitioner who sees a lot in his practice and for whom virtually everything is important". The phrase from the Introduction to the book offers a useful starting point for understanding what the authors essentially want to convey. While much may be important, this volume addresses specifically the relation between liturgy and mystery. Many of the contributing authors recognise the bodied reality of mystery as crucial to the "health" of liturgical relationship. The contributors acknowledge that neither the "practitioner" as liturgist, nor the theologian alone can provide the necessary "life-giving connections" that help mediate between liturgy and mystery. Thus, the skills and knowledge from various liturgical traditions and denominations are utilised to explore: (1) the gospels and Christ event, (2) the ongoing process of tradition through verbal and non-verbal means, (3) the transparency of mystery itself, (4) the partaking in the Mystery through the links with other areas and commitments of life, and (5) the revision of the classical approach to the relationship between liturgy and systematic theology. This paired liturgical and theological investigation ultimately opens ways for understanding what liturgy itself is, and what theology maybe should be.