Introduction to Byzantine Liturgy (E) 1,4

This is the fourth lecture in the course on Byzantine Liturgy offered by Thomas Pott, in which we explore together the richness of the Byzantine liturgical tradition. The course examines its rituals, the history of their development, and the depth of its spiritual and prayer heritage, with attention both to meaning and lived experience.

Particular attention is given to the liturgical practices of Saint Michael’s Fellowship at La Rivelaine, so that the tradition is not only studied theoretically, but also understood through its concrete expression.

The lectures take place once a month: in principle, on the first Sunday of the month in French, on the second Sunday in Dutch, and on the fourth Sunday in English.

During this fourth lecture, we will examine the structure of the Byzantine Eucharist (the Divine Liturgy) by tracing its origins in the biblical and pre-patristic tradition. Our aim is to explore how the Eucharist developed from the primitive kerygma into a richly structured liturgical rite, in which ritual development and theological reflection evolved hand in hand.

The liturgical tradition on which we shall focus is what we referred to in the previous lecture primarily as the Cathedral Liturgy. This lecture will lay the foundation for our subsequent exploration of the interaction between the cathedral and monastic liturgical traditions during the period we have called A Tale of Two Cities and Two Deserts.

Anyone interested in liturgy, spirituality, or Christian tradition is warmly welcome.