Orthodox Christianity: The Worship and Liturgical Life of the Orthodox Church by Hilarion Alfeyev (review)

The Byzantine liturgical tradition is a rich tapestry of interconnecting elements consisting of sacramental rites, daily, weekly, and yearly cycles. At the center of this tapestry is the Eucharistic Divine Liturgy in its two anaphoras, attributed to St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil the Great respectively. It is indeed an ambitious task to provide an accurate yet broad introduction into all these various components comprising the Byzantine worship tradition. This is what Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev attempts in the fourth volume of his Orthodox Christianity series, addressed "to readers already acquainted with the basics of Orthodoxy, and who desire to deepen their knowledge and, above all, to systematize it" (7–8).

Although Alfeyev draws on the wealth of Byzantine liturgical texts throughout the previous three volumes of this collection, attention is focused in this volume on the worship system of the Byzantine rite to provide the reader with an appreciation of its underlying theological characteristics, history, and spiritual ethos. From the outset, the preface of the book lays down certain guiding principles underlying the organization of this book and the entire series. Liturgical experience is said to be part of Orthodoxy's "integrated theological and liturgical system" (7), which also includes church art, ascetic practice, socio-moral teachings, and the church's relation to other confessions and the world. The historical context that gave rise to the liturgical tradition is accorded particular importance, since Orthodoxy is affirmed as both traditional and conservative. Finally, one notices the author's claim that this series is "an attempt to understand Orthodoxy in all its diversity" (7), though this is presented "through the prism of the author's personal perception" (7), a caveat worth remembering while reading this volume.

The volume follows a simple plan of four parts. Part 1 is comprised of one chapter offering an overview of a number of general features of Orthodox worship. These include the relationship between worship and theology, and sections on liturgical language, liturgical books, and the calendar. Beginning with part 2, the author begins his systematic treatment of the components of Byzantine worship. First, the daily cycle is discussed. Chapter 1 provides a historical overview of the development of the Eucharistic liturgy and the daily office. Chapters 2 and 3 engage primarily with the current received tradition of the Byzantine Rite for the liturgy of the hours and the Eucharist respectively. A discussion of the Byzantine Divine Liturgy is presented in chapter 3, by far the largest chapter in the work at 110 pages. The author here covers everything from the proskomidia (the ritual preparation of the bread and wine prior to the liturgy) until the dismissal, and including an additional eleven pages on the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. Throughout this lengthy chapter, the author provides extensive passages from the texts of the Divine Liturgy, being careful to represent both Byzantine anaphoras of Chrysostom and Basil. In part 3, the author turns his attention to the weekly cycle: chapter 4 provides a historical overview of the development of the weekly cycle, while chapter 5 discusses both the Sunday and daily services, drawing primarily upon the hymnographical texts used in these services. The same method is utilized in part 4 on the yearly cycle of worship services. An introductory chapter 6 presents a historical overview, while the remaining chapters (7–11) discuss the services at the beginning of the ecclesiastical year, the Nativity cycle, the Lenten cycle, the Paschal cycle, and from the Apostles' fast to the end of year, respectively. The book concludes with a list of abbreviations followed by a select bibliography.

Overall, the book is written in an accessible style that does not assume prior liturgical expertise or a scholarly background. Helpful notes supply additional information without burdening the reader with unnecessary details or extensive bibliographical references. Of particular note are the ample images provided throughout the work. Every few pages, the reader is...