Liturgy and Culture
2004 New York, New York
2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002
Convener 2004
Julie Upton, R.S.M. (provost and professor of theology, St. John’s University, New York)
Seminar Participants 2004
Seminar members: Ruth Duck; Mark Francis; Raul Gomez; Michael Hawn; Clare Johnson; Fred Moleck; Keith Pecklers, S.J.; Tom Richstatter, O.F.M.; Julie Upton, R.S.M.
Visitor: Deok-Weon Ahn
Seminar Report 2004
Taking full advantage of the multicultural opportunities for worship in New York City, the members of the Liturgy and Culture Seminar joined the worshiping community of the Parish of St. Joseph of the Holy Family (405 W. 125th St., New York) for Eucharist at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday.
Keith Pecklers helped to prepare members of the Seminar for the visit. After discussion with the pastor, Rev. Philip Kelly, earlier in the fall, Keith prepared a cultural orientation to the neighborhood and parish which was distributed to members of the seminar prior to the visit. Following liturgy we met with about a dozen parishioners of varying ages to discuss the evolution of worship in the parish. We experienced a vibrant, worshiping community that included an amazing number of young people, and our discussion with the group helped us to see that their sense of community was not a display, but deeply rooted in them.
The first “official” presentation the next day was a discussion of Michael Hawn’s One Bread, One Body: Exploring Cultural Diverstiy in Worship (Bethseda, MD: The Alban Institute, 2003), which Michael described as “a Protestant perspective on the issues raised by Mark Francis in the Catholic arena in his books on multicultural liturgy” (which the seminar discussed at the 2003 meeting). Michael led the discussion by providing us with background to the parishes studied in the project—Hispanic and African American communities in changing neighborhoods; a parish with a new pastor with the intention of becoming a diverse congregation.
Funded by a grant from the Calvin Institute, the grant originally intended for the team to spend three to four days with a congregation. It became obvious, however, that more time was needed for people to get comfortable together. Therefore, they settled on five weekends (Friday evening to Saturday) spread throughout the year. Michael worked with two colleagues; video-taped their congregations and wrote case studies on congregations that were other than their own.
Clare Johnson presented a paper, “Researching Ritual Practice: The Use of Participant Observation in Liturgical Studies,” which grew out of her own frustration as a graduate student at being required to do participant-observations without adequate preparation. She prepared this paper for her students as a thorough explanation for participant-observation methodology to facilitate their work. The focus of her course at the University of Notre Dame is the use of music in the liturgy. Students work in groups of five to six, visit parishes three times, and sit in the same seat if possible. Using the methodology proposed by Johnson, students proceed with their projects.
Discussion ran in two directions. Members of the seminar were particularly pleased with Johnson’s methodology and document and several asked for permission to use the tool with their own students. In the other direction we discussed two propositions:
- It is just not possible to detach oneself completely from one’s prior experience.
- “A researcher can never become an insider.” Does that mean that an insider can never be a researcher? Yes!
Plans for next year:
- We plan to continue with participant-observation model and again visit a congregation for worship. Julie Upton will look for an appropriate venue in Louisville and prepare a document that contextualizes the experience for the group prior to the visit.
- Keith Pecklers will report on an inculturation meeting he is organizing in Bangkok this summer about other Tenrikyo rituals in Asia.
- Mark Francis will present a commentary on The Directory on Popular Religion and Liturgy.
- If Deok-Weon Ahn is able to attend the meeting, he will give a presentation related to his dissertation on BEM and inculturation.
- Michael Hawn will present a chapter from another book: under what circumstances people can appropriate things from another tradition.
- The Seminar also agreed to read a book in common: Philip Jenkins’ The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity (Oxford, 2002).