Half a century after the Second Vatican Council called for the active participation of the laity in the liturgy, a comprehensive theology of what liturgical participation actually means remains elusive. While most sacramental studies have highlighted the role and action of Christ, the conciliar reform and the theology that emanated from it call for a deeper trinitarian understanding of the liturgy and sacraments.

In this fascinating new work, Gabriel Pivarnik identifies the major theological developments in the concept of active participation of the last century, most notably in Mediator Dei and the Vatican II documents. He also considers the reception of those developments. Drawing especially on the work of Cipriano Vagaggini and Edward Kilmartin, Pivarnik offers a lucid demonstration of how liturgical participation can be viewed in metaphysical, soteriological, and ecclesiological terms through the lens of a trinitarian narrative.

About the Author
R. Gabriel Pivarnik, OP, teaches theology at Providence College, where he also serves as director of the Center for Catholic and Dominican Studies. Monsignor Kevin W. Irwin has been on the faculty of The Catholic University of America for over thirty years, where he held the Walter J. Schmitz Chair of Liturgical Studies (2000-2015), served as Dean of the School of Theology and Religious Studies (2005-2011), and is currently an Ordinary Research Professor. Msgr. Irwin has published eighteen books on liturgy and sacraments.

Reviews
"In this work Fr. Pivarnik launches into the deeper trinitarian meaning of Vatican II's assertion that 'full, conscious, and active participation . . . is demanded by the very nature of the liturgy.' The result is as penetrating in its insight as its scholarship is exhaustive and up-to-date. Singling out the writings of two major twentieth-century liturgical theologians, Cipriano Vagaggini and Edward Kilmartin, Pivarnik provides rich and comprehensive syntheses of both. A scholarly tour de force, this book is indispensable for any doctoral course on the subject and a valuable resource for teachers of liturgy at any level."John D. Laurance, SJ, Marquette University, Author of The Sacrament of the Eucharist
"A significant addition to the literature on active participation in the liturgy. While this book demands a certain theological literacy, it is well written and should be accessible to undergraduate students."Jonathan How



Book Information
ISBN 9780814662854
Author R. Gabriel Pivarnik
Format Paperback
Page Count 280
Imprint Liturgical Press
Publisher Liturgical Press
Weight(grams) 388g