Just a quick book notice I received yesterday from the Liturgical Press; while they are sending a review copy for NLM to review, I felt a number of our readers would be interested in at least knowing about the publication sooner than later (i.e. before the review) given the importance of this writer within the context of the 20th century Liturgical Movement. The book was published this past December 13th -- and I am told it is the first time it has appeared in English translation.
On the Historical Development of the Liturgy
by Anton Baumstark
Anton Baumstark's On the Historical Development of the Liturgy (1923) complements his classic work, Comparative Liturgy. Together they lay out his liturgical methodology. Comparative Liturgy presents his method; On the Historical Development of the Liturgy offers his model. This book was written for one audience and valued by another. Written to lead adherents of the nascent German liturgical movement to a deeper religious appreciation of Catholic worship, its methodology and scope have won the appreciation of liturgical specialists for nearly a century. In describing the organic growth of the liturgy, its shaping and distortion, Baumstark's reach extends from India to Ireland, Moscow to Axum, Carthage to Xi an. He discusses the influences of language, literature, doctrine, piety, politics, and culture. While his audacity can be breathtaking and his hypotheses grandiose, his approach is nevertheless stimulating. In this annotated edition, Fritz West provides the first English translation of this work by Anton Baumstark.
Product Details
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Liturgical Press; annotated edition edition (December 13, 2011)
ISBN-10: 0814660967
ISBN-13: 978-0814660966
