Liturgical Archaeology?
Thoughts on Modern Usage of Ancient
Texts,
by Archpriest John Shaw, Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, Aug.,
1999
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Fr. John Shaw's studies
of the Sarum use of the Roman rite, the most complete extant
pre-Reformation Western liturgy, and his frequent celebration of Sarum
services, going back to at least the mid-1970s, paved the way for the
explosive growth in the number of communities using the Sarum liturgy
over the past few decades. Fr. John currently serves as pastor of
Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He will
soon be consecrated a bishop of the Russian Church Abroad.
The following
are my thoughts on the subject of what is often referred to as
"antiquarianism" or "medievalism". Perhaps they will be helpful
for some.
Some years ago, before we got used to the modern-day whirlwind of
science and technology, sometimes people would belittle these
disciplines. A man might have said, "What does some scientist with his
test tubes have to do with my sick wife?" Today, of course, most of us
accept the idea that the test tube experiments can lead to a medicine
that will make her better.
There was a time when people could "talk down" forensic science: "The
police should be out there chasing the criminals, and not wasting time
peering at carpet fibers and fingerprints". But now most of us
understand what they can accomplish with these "idle pursuits".
"Investigative journalists" are at the forefront of the modern age, and
their power, often abused, is evident. Yet much of their work is done
in research libraries, looking things up in old newspapers and books
and deeds and marriage licenses... Who among us would call them "idle
bookworms" for that?
In Western Orthodoxy, there are practical problems that need to be
solved. Since the West fell away from the rest of the Church so long
ago, there is a good deal of debate as to what texts or service books
should be followed, so as to have a Liturgy that is both Western and
Orthodox. It only makes sense to try and solve this by study of what
the Western services were before the schism, and where they went since
that time. Those who go to church on Sunday morning are not
called upon to be liturgicists or liturgical archeologists any more
than the patient needs to be a medical scientist or go into the lab to
be given medicine. The "finished product" is nevertheless today's
worship; if they hear or join in texts that had been in an ancient
manuscript, they need never suspect it, for all that is worth. These
materials have been returned to use because they provide what was
needed.
Fr. John R. Shaw
August 5, 1999
for more information
see http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Occidentalis
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