Abstract
It cannot be said that liturgies operate at the centre of modern consciousness. To the secular mind, these Christian rites belong to a pre-modern age, relics of past anxieties which technology and modernity have assuaged. Attitudes to liturgical operations relate to wider questions of the value of religious belief in a secular society, where consumerism and instant satisfaction help to keep the flock from the Church door — save at weddings and funerals. Yet, even in a post-Christian society, these religious rituals embody a witness to past cultural traditions not easily dismissed. Aspects of their tradition still attract. Cathedrals draw millions of tourists. It would be odd not to find something appealing about Church music. Even the most devout atheist might be moved by a Bach cantata.
Hast thou with him spread out the sky, which is strong, and as a molten looking glass? Teach us what we shall say unto him ; for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness.
(Job 37: 18–19)
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Notes and References
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© 1991 Kieran Flanagan
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Flanagan, K. (1991). Sociological Understandings of Liturgy: Some Aspects. In: Sociology and Liturgy. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230375383_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230375383_4
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