The liturgical reform of the Sunday high mass: The last attempt of Christ?

Abstract

This article examines the intersection between the therapeutic and the Christian cultures, and the common conviction among scholars of the therapeutic, such as Philip Rieff, that the subjective turn eventually will overthrow organized Christianity. The culture clash between secularism and religion is engaged through the Protestant Church of Norway's liturgical reform of the Sunday high mass 2004–2011, which aims to make the liturgical service more relevant. The analysis of both institutional and theological attempts at finding a balance between the old and the new suggests that the authority of the emotive self strongly challenges the truth of God. Still, there are signs of a cultural merger that suggest the Church of Norway will prevail. The outcome, however, will not satisfy conservative theologians and critics of the therapeutic culture, as God, in order to survive, must accept a more subordinate supportive role as an optional remedy for well-being.