Description
Book SynopsisThe expression "liturgical drama" was formulated in 1834 as a metaphor and hardened into formal category only later in the nineteenth century. Prior to this invention, the medieval rites and representations that would forge the category were understood as distinct and unrelated classes: as liturgical rites no longer celebrated or as theatrical works of dubious quality. This ground-breaking work examines "liturgical drama" according to the contexts of their presentations within the manuscripts and books that preserve them.
Trade Review"This study is the first to bring together a substantial and comprehensive overview of the treatment, from the Middle Ages to the present, of the ceremonies that have, in modern times, come to be seen as 'liturgical drama.' It promises to be a foundational study that helps the reader understand the complex scholarly paths behind this material and challenges the very term 'liturgical drama' itself." Nils Holger Petersen, University of Copenhagen
Table of ContentsIntroduction. The Illusion of Liturgical Drama Chapter 1. A Prodigious Birth: Creating "Liturgical Drama"
Chapter 2. An Improbable Fiction: Confronting "Liturgical Drama"
Chapter 3. Past as Prologue: Preceding "Liturgical Drama"
Chapter 4. Strange Bedfellows: Unfolding "Liturgical Drama"
Chapter 5. What's in a Name? Defining "Liturgical Drama"
Chapter 6. All that Glitters: Unravelling "Liturgical Drama"
Glossary
Bibliography of Works Cited
Indexes
