Winter 2012/Pasadena
CH834/534
Johnson
CH834/534: LITURGICAL HISTORY: THE HISTORY OF THE LORD'S SUPPER. Todd E.
Johnson.
DESCRIPTION: With the exception of the Lord's Prayer, no single topic in the
Christian faith has been written about more than the Lord's Supper, Holy
Communion, or the Eucharist. This seminar will survey the history of the Lord's
Supper. It will introduce the nature of religious meals in the cultures (Jewish
and Greco-Roman) that influenced early Christian practice. It will trace the
ritual of the Lord's Supper in terms of text and practices. It will also trace
the evolving interpretation of the Lord's Supper. Students will move through
the Christian eras up to the contemporary church, evaluating the historical
choices made in the current Eucharistic rites. This doctoral seminar is open to
a limited number of master's level students by special permission.
SIGNIFICANCE FOR LIFE AND MINISTRY: Studying the history of the Lord's Supper
affords the student the opportunity to study the history of Christian worship
through the lens of one of the central elements of the church's liturgy.
Knowing the sources of and influences upon the variety of Christian practice
today helps one understand the similarities and differences between Christian
worship traditions in general.
LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students will be expected to learn three methods in this
class: First, the student will learn how to contextualize liturgical practice
within the culture in which it takes place. Second, the student will learn to
do comparative liturgy, which is the analysis and assessment of liturgical
sources for eucharistic rites. Third, the student will learn the correspondence
between the interpretation of the rite and the rite itself, exploring the
relationship between sacramental theology and liturgical practice. Beyond these
methods the student will learn the historical sweep of the practice of the
Lord's Supper and its interpretation. The student will also learn the recent
trends in eucharistic practice arising out of the liturgical renewal
movement.
COURSE FORMAT: The seminar will meet weekly for three-hour sessions. It will
have some lectures by the professor, but will be mostly seminar presentations
and discussions.
REQUIRED READING:
- Course Reader.
- Bradshaw, Paul. Eucharistic Origins. SPCK, 2004. ISBN:
9780281056153. List price: $18.45.
- Jasper, R., and G. Cuming, eds. Prayers of the Eucharist: Early and
Reformed. Liturgical Press, 1987. ISBN: 97808146-60850. List price:
$24.95.
- Mitchell, N. Cult & Controversy: The Worship of the Eucharist
outside of the Mass. Liturgical Press, 1982. ISBN: 9780814662335. List
price: $39.95.
- Mazza, Enrico. The Origins of the Eucharistic Prayer. Liturgical
Press, 1995. ISBN: 9780814660751. List price: $39.95.
- Stookey, Laurence. Eucharist: Christ's Feast with the Church.
Abingdon, 1993. ISBN: 9780687120178. List Price: $24.00.
- One of the following two historical surveys is required:
- Senn, Frank. Christian Liturgy: Catholic and
Evangelical. Fortress, 1997. ISBN: 9780800627263, List Price: $55.00.
- Wainwright, G., and K. B. W. Tucker, eds. The Oxford History of
Christian Worship. Oxford University Press, 2005. ISBN: 9780195138863. List
price: $59.95
RECOMMENDED READING:
- Foley, Edward, From Age to Age. Rev. and expanded ed.
Liturgical Press, 2008. ISBN: 9780814630785. List price: $29.95.
- Johnson, Maxwell, ed. Issues in Eucharistic Praying in East and
West. Liturgical Press, 2011. ISBN: 9780814662489. List price: $49.95.
- Seasoltz, Kevin, ed. Living Bread, Saving Cup. Liturgical Press,
1987. ISBN: 9780814612576. List price: $19.95.
ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENT: (1) Completion of assigned readings, participation
in class discussions and attendance. (2) An oral presentation on an early or
medieval Eucharistic rite. (3) An oral presentation on a contemporary worship
pattern in its current cultural context. (4) A paper that identifies and
analyzes a liturgy of the Lord's Supper, identifies its sources, evaluates its
supporting theology, and evaluates the rite in terms of the culture in which it
is used. This fourth assignment will be adjusted in both scope and length for
master's level students.
PREREQUISITES: Background in liturgical history or completion of CH507 is
expected; permission of instructor required for master's level students.
RELATIONSHIP TO CURRICULUM: Elective.
FINAL EXAMINATION: None.
This ECD is a reliable guide to the course design but is subject to modification. (October 2011)