Historical Research: 16th Century to the Present
2004 New York, New York
2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002
Convener 2004
Richard Geoffrey Leggett (professor of liturgical studies, Vancouver School of Theology, Vancouver BC)
Seminar Participants 2004
Seminar members: (in attendance) Kent Burreson, Alan Detscher, Richard Leggett, Kimberly Long, George Muenich, Kenneth Rowe, Thomas Schattauer, Karen Westerfield Tucker, James White
Visitors: Douglas Cullum, Jim Turrell
Seminar Report 2004
The seminar focused on two primary dimensions of our work together. The first of these was looking at the question, “How do we do history?” The second was the presentation of papers by our members and visitors. We also began to sketch possible future directions for our seminar. In this latter discussion the question arose once again as to how we might encourage more Roman Catholic Academy members to consider participating in the work of our seminar. Our decision in 2003 to change the name of the seminar from “Post-Reformation Historical Research” to its present title was motivated, in part, by this desire to broaden our membership which at present is predominantly non-Roman Catholic.
Papers
Frank Senn on marriage in the Reformation traditions
In this chapter from a longer work, Dr. Senn examined the social and theological context within which marriage came under the auspices of the Church. He then discussed how marriage came to be viewed by the first generation of the Reformers of the sixteenth century.
Jim Turrell on confirmation in 16th and 17th century England
Confirmation continues to be a sacramental rite in search of a theological rationale. Dr. Turrell’s paper explored how confirmation was understood among Anglicans in the seventeenth century and illustrated this by an exploration of episcopal registers and visitation articles. He suggested that there was a theological consensus among Anglican theologians of the period that confirmation was a word-centered rite, that is to say, a rite that focused on the participant affirmation of baptismal promises and commitments.
Karen Westerfield Tucker on Civil War hymnals
Dr. Westerfield Tucker has been engaged in a lengthy project on hymnody in the North American churches. Her paper at the 2004 session looked at the contents of hymnals prepared in the United and Confederate States of America and at the common themes evident in both.
Doug Cullum on worship and worship space in 19th century Free Methodism
Free Methodism emerged as a reform movement within North American Methodism that sought to restore simplicity of worship and Gospel liberty to the people called Methodists. Dr. Cullum described how worship space and style were colored by this commitment and the implicit tensions to maintain these values as Free Methodism continued its development in the later decades of the nineteenth century.
Richard Leggett on the development of blessings for same-gender covenants in Canada
Canadian society has unique legal and constitutional characteristics that have created an environment distinct from the United States. In his paper Dr. Leggett outlined the shape of a fuller treatment of the development of the rite for blessing same-gender covenants in the Diocese of New Westminster and provided an initial foray into the question of jus liturgicum, the bishop’s right to authorize occasional services.
Alan Detscher on Boswell's work on the Church and homosexuality
Dr. Detscher commented on the use and abuse of Boswell’s work on presumed rites for homosexual relationships.
Other work of the seminar
As the first part of the seminar’s work, we discussed the initial chapter of Teresa Berger’s work on women’s worship. Our purpose was to examine her principles for the study of women’s ways of worshiping and to consider how these principles might be applied to our own areas of interest and research. We have also extended an invitation to Dr. Berger to join us for part of next year’s session.
For next year’s session, the seminar will encourage its members who are interested in more recent historical developments to present papers arising from their research. Some possible topics include (a) a re-examination of the concept of ordo as expressed in the works of Lathrop and Saliers, (b) a review of the extent of recent liturgical revision and the possibility of such revision having gone too far too fast, and (c) new paradigms for worship in the present time.