We are grateful to Dr Michael Coughlin, Professor of Theology at Saint John’s Seminary in Boston, for sharing with NLM this review of Monsignor Stefan Heid’s book Altar and Church: Principles of Liturgy from Early Christianity. Mons. Heid is a priest of the archdiocese of Cologne, Germany; he has taught liturgy and hagiography at the Pontifical Institute for Christian Archeology in Rome since 2001, and has been rector since 2020. The book may be ordered through CUA Press or Amazon.
Msgr. Dr. Stefan Heid, professor at the Pontifical Institute of Christian Archaeology and director of the Roman Institute of the Society of Gӧrres in Rome, is a scholar’s scholar. His recent work Altar and Church: Principles of Liturgy from Early Christianity (translated into English from the original German by Susan Johnson and published by The Catholic University of America Press in January 2024) presents a compelling corrective to the popular theory of “house churches” in the early centuries of Christianity.
This theory, widely accepted and repeated over the last century, holds that the worship of the early church in the late Roman Empire took place in the homes of leaders of the Christian community in a given city, transforming common, everyday spaces and furnishings for worship that would return to profane use after the conclusion of the liturgy. Making use of the available sources, both in literature and archaeology, Heid raises the cutting question: where is the evidence of these house churches? If they were so prevalent in the early church, why has no archaeological investigation supported their existence?
The primary answer, Heid argues, is that, according to the available historical evidence, the only ordinary place of worship in the early church was at the altar of the local bishop, which was preserved for sacred use in a fixed location. In other words, there is no indication for the widespread use of house churches because the norm for Christian worship was always to gather together at the altar in the dedicated church building of the local bishop. Because of his technical mastery of the sources, Heid is able to lay out his case in a clear and logical style that takes his reader along with him, step by step.
Three strengths of the work stand out in a special way. First, as mentioned, is Heid’s clarity in presenting a thorough account of the available sources. His analysis of texts from the New Testament and Patristic periods and the archaeology of churches throughout the Roman Empire make the evidence accessible even to those unfamiliar with the fields of liturgical history and Christian archaeology. Second, Heid offers a glimpse into the worship of the early church that can inform how the faithful enter into the liturgy even today. The centrality of the altar as “the privileged negotiating space between heaven and earth” captures the sense of mystery inherent in the public worship of the church, past and present (page 353). Third, the physical copy of the English edition of the text is a true pleasure to read: the quality of the paper, the detail of the photographs and drawings, and the ample references and footnotes provide a beautiful visual presentation that matches the superb content of the research. This is a special work and the published physical volume shows that.
One aspect that might turn away a potential reader could be the overall length of the text; at over five hundred pages in six chapters with indices, the size of the book might intimidate those outside the world of scholarly writing. This would be a mistake, however. Heid presents his expertise in a thoroughly approachable way, and any reader interested in liturgy or the history of Christianity would find something to treasure in his work. It would be a valuable addition to any theological library.
