Manual on the Liturgy

by Philip H. Pfatteicher

Book Overview

Incorporates the notes and rubrics from LBW and the Ministers Edition and gives helps for a fuller understanding and more expanded use of them. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0806616768
• ISBN13: 9780806616766
• Release Date: December 1978
• Publisher: Augsburg Fortress Publishing
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.85 lbs.

Customer Reviews

This is the church worship planner's best friend

In 1978, the new Lutheran Book of Worship introduced or restored many of the beautiful liturgical practices lost over the years, especially in American Lutheran churches. This manual, a step-by-step guide to these practices, is well-written and precise. If you know something about Christian liturgical worship, you'll enjoy reading it over and over. It's the ultimate "how to" book for planning worship. It presents the ideal of Lutheran worship and allows for variations due to local circumstances. Those who plan and execute worship in Lutheran congregations need to have this book with them as they work; this includes worship committees, parish musicians, altar guild members, assisting ministers, and (especially) clergy. Excellence in worship must start "at the top," and congregants will respond to and flourish in a rich liturgical environment. The Manual helps congregations to focus on the worship experience and value it as a means to drawing closer to God. Highly recommended!

Well-researched and historically accurate.

A fascinating overview of Christian liturgical worship, with many interdenominational relationships revealed and compared. Excellent and highly recommended! Those with no interest or knowledge of historically accurate Christian worship will probably remain in the dark.

Consider what the book is FOR...

I feel compelled to write this review as a counter voice to the two pervious reviews of the text. The previous reviewers are both honest about the content of the book, but they seem to be confused about the purpose of the book. It seems that the previous reviewers were looking for a book that would give lay people a general overview of the history and context of the Lutheran liturgy. The Manual on the Liturgy is not intended to be that text however, the Manual on the Liturgy was written for a very specific purpose, with a very narrow readership in mind. The Manuel on the liturgy is intended to be an instructional, companion volume to the Lutheran Book of Worship and it's associated missal. The text is intended to teach Lutheran clergy the proper manner in which to conduct the various services found in the Lutheran Book of Worship. It does that task with aplomb. One reviewer implies that the Lutheran liturgy is generally performed poorly (I agree) after stating that a good portion of the Lutheran clergy are not familiar with this text (I again agree - sadly). I cannot be the only one who appreciates the irony of this.I personally love this text. But then again, I am Lutheran Seminary student and big fan of worship. If you are not a Lutheran seminary student, or you never were one, you probably have no reason to own or even open this book. IF you HAVE ever been a Lutheran seminary student - you have no excuse for not both owning and reading this text - and not just to satisfy your parish worship professor either - to serve your congregations by faithfully, and beautifully administering the sacraments in a manner befitting them. Take your office seriously.