# "The Spirit of the Liturgy"



## Hamalas (Dec 11, 2013)

A good friend of mine has been heavily influenced by some strongly Anglo-Catholic sacramentalist teachings. One of the books which he identifies as being a huge influence on his life is the late Pope's book, _The Spirit of the Liturgy_. A bit of background about my friend. He is a highly intelligent and thoughtful guy, a gifted writer, and literary conessiour. He grew up in a more fundamentalists home, came to accept Calvinism during his early college years, and currently attends an OPC church. However, in his later college years (and in the year or two since then) he has been heavily influenced by several mutual friends who have become quite rabidly Anglo-Catholic in their beliefs (most of them reacting, in my humble opinion, to the squishy evangelicalism with which they grew up). 

I'm posting this to see if anyone has specific recommendations for a good review of, or interaction with, _The Spirit of the Liturgy_ and also to ask for prayer for my friend. It's hard to know when and how to bring up these issues as he is still riding the fence on many of these things (i.e. he still attends an OPC church but from his Facebook page and personal conversations is definitely spending some time in the Thames, if not the Tiber). He is, as I said, a thoughtful and well-read person, but not someone who seems ready to just read any theological work I might recommend. My only prayer is that God would be faithful to his elect and that if my friend is saved God will preserve him. Like I said, your prayers are appreciated.


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## Philip (Dec 11, 2013)

1) Start with Cranmer's eucharistic theology. He basically adapts Calvin. The Anglo-Catholic approach to the eucharist, if uniquely Anglican (as opposed to Roman) is not fundamentally at odds with reformed theology.

2) Just because someone reads and likes Catholics and Anglo-Catholics doesn't mean that they will end up in Rome or Canterbury (and I realize my signature isn't helping my point, given my temporary church home).

3) In terms of works that one might recommend, there's always J.I. Packer.


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## yeutter (Dec 12, 2013)

A review by a Roman Catholic found at http://www.rtforum.org is a fair review of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger's book _*The Spirit of the Liturgy.*_


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## yeutter (Dec 17, 2013)

Philip said:


> 1) Start with Cranmer's eucharistic theology. He basically adapts Calvin. The Anglo-Catholic approach to the eucharist, if uniquely Anglican (as opposed to Roman) is not fundamentally at odds with reformed theology.
> 
> 2) Just because someone reads and likes Catholics and Anglo-Catholics doesn't mean that they will end up in Rome or Canterbury (and I realize my signature isn't helping my point, given my temporary church home).
> 
> 3) In terms of works that one might recommend, there's always J.I. Packer.


You are correct that their is a strain of high church Anglicanism whose approach is uniquely Anglican, and whose eucharistic theology is not fundamentally at odds with reformed theology. To some extent that strain of high churchman thought ducks the questions that divide Lutheran and Reformed understanding of the nature of the Lord's Supper. 
Some of what is called Anglo-Catholic High Church practice is not really that at all. It is the Anglo-Romish approach to the sacraments. Many of those who recently swam the Tiber are really Anglo-Romish not Anglo-Catholic.


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