Introduction to Liturgical Theology

In 2021, we celebrate the centenary of the birth of Fr. Alexander Schmemann (1921–1983), one of those church thinkers who managed, through his work—both research and journalistic, as well as teaching—to change the face and character of Orthodox theology of the past century. This book represents the foundation of Fr. Alexander's thought, in which he began to develop his theology of the Liturgy. His main theological intuition is to see and understand church worship, and above all the Divine Liturgy, as an immediate manifestation of the Church, an embodiment of its profound essence. In his work, Fr. Alexander vividly demonstrates the uniqueness of the Orthodox liturgical tradition, synthesizing various forms of worship and revealing in a completely new way the possibilities of authentic communion with God. Recommended for publication by the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church IS R21-111-0270