Philosophies of Liturgy

Religious beliefs are deeply connected to and expressive of religious life. Yet mainstream philosophy of religion has primarily focused on the truth and justification of religious beliefs. This is the first collection to acknowledge the vital role practice plays in shaping what we believe.

Emerging and established voices across different philosophical traditions come together to consider public worship from perspectives such as trauma and social ontology, sound and silence, knowledge and hope. They use of liturgy as a lens to view embodied religious practice, intrinsically connecting religious rituals to human existence and cutting across the so-called 'analytic-continental' divide.

Case studies, taken from Christianity, offer analyses that address power structures associated with modes of knowing. The purpose is not to reject what has gone before but to expand the focus of philosophy of religion. This approach lays the groundwork for investigations into how beliefs are situated in our theological, moral, and social frameworks.

For any philosophy of religion student or scholar interested in how thinking and living well are intimately related, this is a go-to resource. It takes seriously the importance of historical religious traditions and communities, opening the space for cross-cultural and interdisciplinary debates.