Looking at the Liturgy: A Critical View of Its Contemporary Form

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Critical Perspective
Review: Catholic theologian Aidan Nichols provides an erudite but accessible critical overview of the current state of Catholic liturgy. The news is not good. Yet, with the analysis, Nichols provides practical recommendations for the renewal and restoration of Catholic liturgy. His historical analysis of the liturgical movement uncovers how the roots of much misguided liturgical "reform" lie in Enlightenment assumptions at variance with Christian and Catholic belief. In Nichols' words, the Enlightenment has bequeathed to us modern liturgists whose work is "[a]nthropocentric, moralizing, voluntaristic, didactic, subjectivist" in contrast to the authentic theocentric nature of the liturgy (pp. 28-29). Like all good analysis, this book brings order to the chaos we have experienced.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: Fr. Nichols' book on the history of the liturgical reform movement is absolutely fascinating. A "must read" for anyone interested in the reform of the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church. His very insightful analysis of the similarities between the reform movement during the Enlightenment and the recent reform movement is right on target. This book will help to explain what went wrong with the recent liturgical reform without condemning the reforms as illegitimate or even improper. Fr. Nichols also covers the interwar liturgical reform movement, a mystery to most Roman Catholics. All in all, an excellent guide to understanding the current liturgy of the latin rite.

Fr. Nichols also offers excellent advice about how to improve the current liturgical situation in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church. This should be required reading for our bishops.