Abstract

Johannes Nebel:
Liturgy in the Light of the Early Church
Reflections on a New Basic Study about Liturgical Principals
(FKTh 2020-2, p. 101–126)

In his book „Altar and Church“, published in 2019, Stefan Heid presented a basic work on the liturgy, as the result of extensive research. Cultic verticality (which includes Caritas), prayer, sacrifice and unity on an episcopal level appear as foundations for both the liturgy and the Church. The altar is of central importance. This article brings principal contents of the book into a systematic view and, based on this, in some places even throws a more balanced light on the author‘s conclusions. From the book, this study establishes standards of Christian sacrality and roots of Christian – and especially Roman – liturgy in the Jerusalem temple tradition. This enables a more comprehensive perception of the development of liturgy throughout history and, in this light, a constructive classification of the post-conciliar liturgical reform.