Abstract
Liturgy as the fountain of life: A review article on the cosmic mapping of Gordon W Lathrop’s book, Holy ground: A liturgical cosmologyAn interpretative review is given of the recently published book by Lathrop, which completed his trilogy on liturgy. Lathrop succeeded in bringing two previously disparate themes, that is faith and cosmos, together in a cosmological liturgy. This review interprets Lathrop’s exposition within a postliberal theological framework and seeks to add value to liturgy and our understanding of reality. A believer grows up under a “sacred canopy” of faith and values. Liturgy now plays the role of providing congregants with co-ordinates to map their position on this earth and under the sky. A Christian liturgy depends on the Biblical understanding of creation, which in turn, is both derived from ancient myths and the inverse thereof. This gives us not only place and time in this cosmos, but a global responsibility towards nature as well. The Christian sacraments therefore lead to an ecological engagement.
Highlights
An interpretative review is given of the recently published book by Lathrop, which completed his trilogy on liturgy
Liturgie as fontein van die lewe in Minneapolis einde 2003 verskyn het, te skryf nie
Selfs die ritme van die 7-dag week van die eerste skeppingsverhaal, dateer terug na die Babiloniese planetêre week met sy sewe astrale liggame in die hemelruim, naamlik die son, die maan en die vyf sigbare planete
Summary
Dit was vir my glad nie moeilik om positief te reageer het op die versoek van die redakteur om ’n uitgebreide resensie in die vorm van ’n oorsigartikel oor die opsienbare boek van die Lutherse professor in Liturgiek in Philadelphia, Gordon W Lathrop, Holy ground: A liturgical cosmology, wat by Fortress Press. Aanvanklik was die verhouding tussen die lewe van die mens en die gang van byvoorbeeld die planete, gesien as twee relatief selfstandige stelsels wat bloot maar net met mekaar korrespondeer. Vandag weet ons dat die mens se “dink en doen”, katastrofale gevolge vir die natuur ingehou het en ook steeds inhou. Lynn White (1996:189-191) het derhalwe in 1967 reeds verklaar dat die Christendom met sy verkeerde verstaan van die skeppingsverhaal se Goddelike opdrag van “onderwerp en heers”, daarom medeverantwoordelikheid vir die ekologiese krisis sal moet aanvaar. Die lyne van ’n werklikheidsverstaan konvergeer vir Lathrop nie net in die liturgie nie, maar waaier ook daarvan uit na die skepping (Lathrop 2003:68-94). Geloof in Christus is nie net die aanleiding tot die liturgie nie, maar juis ook die gevolg daarvan. Deur sy gedagtes nou binne hierdie raamwerk te interpreteer en ook aan te bied, word ’n interessante perspektief geopen
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