Awareness of the liturgical seasons of the year has increased greatly in recent years, as the popularity of the "Common Worship Times and Seasons" volume has illustrated. Churches are constantly looking for ways to enrich their seasonal celebrations, and the first point of better celebration is better understanding. Of all the seasons, Advent is the least understood, the least studied. An entirely Western phenomenon without much of a preaching or liturgical tradition, it is characterised as much by its folk customs - the advent wreath and the Feast of St Nicholas - as by its biblical themes. Here is a book that helps to create a fuller theology of Advent. Kenneth Stevenson characteristically draws on biblical, historical and liturgical evidence to show how the churches have understood and kept Advent down the centuries, and finds that the season has much to say to contemporary concerns in today's church and world, from how we do mission to Richard Dawkins' brand of atheism and a surprising number of issues in between.

About the Author
KENNETH STEVENSON is the Bishop of Portsmouth and a leading Anglican liturgical scholar with many publications to his name, including The Lord's Prayer (SCM) and Love's Redeeming Work (OUP), compiled with Rowan Williams and Geoffrey Rowell.

Reviews
'For some this will be an essential source book for regular Sunday worship. For many more it will be the first place to look when particular pastoral opportunities or crises present themselves, whatever day of the week they fall.' Tim Stratford, Praxis News of Worship



Book Information
ISBN 9781853118340
Author Kenneth Stevenson
Format Paperback
Page Count 160
Imprint Canterbury Press Norwich
Publisher Canterbury Press Norwich
Weight(grams) 10g
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 135mm * 145mm