Participation in Heavenly Worship: From Apocalyptic Mysticism to the Eucharistic Sanctus (Studia Traditionis Theologiae: Explorations in Early and ... (English, Ancient Greek and Latin Edition)

Description

The idea of participation in heavenly worship is a fascinating perspective on the Christian Eucharistic liturgy. Although somewhat forgotten in modern times, the early church knew it as a central aspect of meaning in interpretations of the Eucharistic rite. Through this rite worshippers could see themselves in communion with angels and saints in the eternal liturgy of heaven. Interpretations along such lines emerge clearly in catechesis and homilies from the fourth century onwards, and continue to develop in the following centuries, especially in the eastern liturgical traditions. The question remains, however, what are the origins of this concept? In Participation in Heavenly Worship, Sverre Lied explores how the relations between the earthly and heavenly realms were understood within the context of Christian worship during the first three centuries CE. He argues that the idea of participation is an aspect of Christian worship that may be traced back to Jewish Christian apocalyptic mysticism, and shows how this concept, with considerable variations, was preserved and developed during the following centuries. These observations also shed new light on the appearance of the Sanctus in the Eucharistic liturgy. Table of Contents Abbreviations General Journals Old Testament Pseudepigrapha Dead Sea Scrolls Philo Classical Greek Literature Apostolic Fathers Patristic and Other Early Christian Sources New Testament Apocrypha Nag Hammadi 1 Introduction 1.a Participation in Heavenly Worship 1.b The Present Study 1.c Central Terms and Concepts 1.d Structure 2 The Heavenly Liturgy in Early Jewish and Christian Mysticism 2.a The Earthly Temple in Crisis 2.b Earthly and Heavenly Types 2.c The Priestly Worship and Sacrifice in Heaven 2.c. 1 The Different Beings in the Sanctuary 2.c. 2 A Priestly Service of Song and Praise 2.c. 3 Sacrifice in Heaven 2.d Participation in Heavenly Worship 2.d. 1 Participation in the Yahad 2.d. 2 Participation in Other Apocalyptic Texts 2.e Influence from Middle-Platonism: Philo 2.f The Synagogue Liturgy 2.g Conclusion 3 Ignatius of Antioch 3.a Basic Eschatological Perspectives 3.b Temple Symbolism and Cultic Imagery 3.b. 1 Stones in the Father’s Temple 3.b. 2 Temple Altar and the Eucharist 3.b. 3 Eucharist and Martyrdom 3.c Earthly and Heavenly Worship 3.c. 1 The Liturgical Ministers as Types of Heavenly Realities 3.c. 2 The Altar Metaphor 3.d Conclusion 4 The Apostolic Church Order 4.a The Earthly Church as a Type of the Heavenly Church 4.a.1 The Earthly Rite: Patterns of Liturgical Leadership 4.c Conclusion 4.b Liturgy on Earth as in Heaven 4.b. 1 The Details of the Symbolism 4.b. 2 The Meaning of the Symbolism 5 Irenaeus of Lyons 5.a The Vivification of the Human Being 5.b Sacrifice of the Firstfruits of Creation 5.c Earth and Heaven in Worship 5.c. 1 Valentinian Interpretations of Eucharistic Worship 5.c. 2 The Eucharistic Altar in Heaven 5.c. 3 The Spiritual Ascent to Heaven 5.d Conclusion 6 Clement of Alexandria 6.a The Ascent of the Soul 6.a.1 Ascent through Gnosis 6.a.2 Ascent through Prayer 6.a.3 Conclusion 6.b Communal and Liturgical Mysticism 6.b. 1 Eucharist and Gnosis 6.b. 2 Earthly and Heavenly Worship 6.b. 3 The Clergy as Images of the Angelic Hierarchy 6.c Conclusion 7 Origen 7.a Basic Views on Worship and Eucharist 7.b Liturgical Communion with Angels and Saints 7.b. 1 The Context of Communal Worship 7.b. 2 Liturgical Union with Heaven in the Eucharist? 7.c The Eucharist and the Altar in Heaven 7.d Earthly and Heavenly Clergy 7.e Conclusion 8 Earthly and Heavenly Worship in the Pre-Nicene Church 8.a The Origins in Second Temple Apocalyptic Mysticism 8.b Participation in Angelic Song and Praise 8.c Earthly Things as Types of Heavenly Things 8.d Types, Images, and Participation 8.e Heavenly Sacrifice and the Eucharist 8.f Heavenly Communion with Angels and Saints 8.g Eucharistic and Non-Eucharistic Concepts of Participation 8.h The Enigma of the Sanctus 9 The Fourth Century Synthesis 9.a The Fourth Century Liturgical Transformation 9.b Examples of Liturgical Interpretations 9.b. 1 Theodore of Mopsuestia 9.b. 2 John Chrysostom 9.b. 3 Ambrose and the Roman Rite 9.b. 4 Later Developments 9.c Synthesis and Innovation Bibliography I. Editions and Translations of Ancient Texts II. Modern Authors