Reviewed Book: Francis, Mark R. Liturgy in a multicultural community. Collegeville, Minn: Liturgical Pr, 1991. American essays in liturgy

Nevile, Donald C.

English

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 23Issue 1 Essays in the History of Interpretation Article 185-1-1997Liturgy in a multicultural communityDonald C. NevileFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationNevile, Donald C. (1997) "Liturgy in a multicultural community," Consensus: Vol. 23 : Iss. 1 , Article 18.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol23/iss1/18Book Reviews 97stops and in church parlors after worship. (Now comes the line which makesthis a genuine parable:) “If Jesus had lived in the 1990s, he would probablyhave raised a coffee mug, and said, ‘Each time you do this, remember me’”(125).I believe Jim Taylor is right. We need to be about the task of helpingpeople be aware of the presence of God in all aspects of life, not just inesoteric “spiritual” moments. Starting with shoe laces and fire extinguishersis basic to that task. But the art of making these into media for God’spresence is not very visible here.Taylor is editor of Wood Lake Books and of the ministerial journal,PMC: The Practice of Ministry in Canada.Eduard and Ladona RiegertWaterloo, Ontario’’Liturgy in a Multicultural Community.” AmericanEssays in LiturgyMark B. Francis, C.S.V.Edited by Edward FoleyCollegeville, Minn.: The Liturgical Press, 199178 pp. $8.05Another in the Collegeville Benedictines’ series of essays on liturgy,the focus of the monograph is on multicultural worship, specifically as itgrew out of studies and experiments conducted by the Catholic TheologicalUnion in Chicago. The writer, who has served parishes in Latin America,is presently on the faculty of CTU.The initial thrust of this essay takes us beyond the familiar theology ofthe “cultural adaptation of the liturgy”, as expressed in the work of AnscarChupungco, to fundamental anthropological issues. He adopts Geertz’s def-inition of culture as “a system of inherited concepts expressed in symbolicforms by means of which human beings communicate, perpetuate, and de-velop their knowledge about, and their attitudes toward life” (p. 11). Hethen points out the dangers and challenges of planning and leading liturgyin multicultural communities. His focus is on non-anglo North Americancommunities which are required to use the Roman rite. However, as we willsee, the application of his research can be taken beyond this narrow focus.There is a very helpful chapter on cultural diversity in New Testamenttimes and the challenges this presented to the early church, the problempresented by the great variety of languages in use; the Hebrew/Hellenisttension; and the issues of food. Subsequent chapters deal with the treat-ment of multicultural issues up to the time of the Council of Trent, and theSecond Vatican Council.98 ConsensusReaders of the monograph will find the fourth chapter of greatest value.Here he discusses cultural issues that arise in multicultural parishes. Heidentifies the goal of multicultural worship as “helping people from a varietyof cultural groups simultaneously to celebrate their faith in the liturgy” (p.49). This is a surprising suggestion, and implies a different model of multi-cultural worship than most mainline traditions have considered. Althoughhis examples represent typical Roman situations, i.e., Polish, Italian, andSpanish parishes, the model is applicable in other settings, for example,Baltic, German, Scandinavian, French, Asian, and Aboriginal.This essay will be useful for Lutheran pastors who find themselvesworking in so-called “bilingual” parishes. His suggestions for multiculturalworship will not be favourably received by those who prefer the model ofexclusively unilingual, unicultural non-English parishes. Nevertheless, hissuggestions warrant careful consideration by such pastors and congrega-tions. This is especially the case, given the reality that most non-Englishcongregations, immersed in an English-speaking milieu, are recognizablyon a terminal course. Even though the original language can be retainedfor a generation or two in worship, still the second and third generationsof such congregations are immersed in the host culture and language theother six days of the week. Francis recognizes the multicultural nature ofsuch churches, and provides helpful suggestions for intercultural worship.The essay ends with two appendices: the Roman Catholic “Guidelinesfor Multilingual Masses”,and a useful bibliography.Donald NevileHighwood Lutheran ChurchCalgary, AlbertaExploring Our Lutheran Liturgy: How and Why WeWorshipDennis R. FakesLima, Ohio: C.S.S. Publishing Co., Inc., 1994146 pp.My first reaction was—who needs another book on the subject of theLutheran liturgy? The author, by his own admission, struggles with the“why” of liturgical worship. He has shared this struggle in a meaningfulway with the congregation he serves, and now, in this book, allows thereader to join in the quest to make sense of what we do in worship.With an opening chapter on some of the basic ingredients (building,vestments, church year, etc.), in seven additional chapters he takes thereader through the basic Sunday liturgy (with Holy Communion) step-by-step. References are made to both the Lutheran Book of Worship and

Liturgy in a multicultural community

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Liturgy in a multicultural community

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