Description
How do Orthodox Christians celebrate Pascha (Easter) and Christmas? What is the purpose of the blessing of waters? How does the Orthodox liturgical year compare with Western Christianity? Through an analysis of the feasts within the Orthodox Liturgical year, Denysenko explores how rituals, Bible readings and hymns form part of common festivals, such as Lent, Holy Week, Pascha, Christmas, and the feasts of Mary. He also discusses feasts particular to Orthodox Christianity, allowing readers to explore occasions such as the Exaltation of the Cross and the Baptism of Rus’, and discover the importance of domestic traditions like the Vasilopita and the Sviata Vechera (Holy Supper).
Ideal for interested readers at college-level or above, This Is the Day That the Lord Has Made is an excellent guide for all seeking to understand the significance of Orthodox liturgy.
About the Author
Nicholas Denysenko is Emil and Elfriede Jochum University Professor and Chair at Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana.
Contents
List of Illustrations
Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1: Introducing the Liturgical Year
Chapter 2: The Movable Cycle
Chapter 3: The Fixed Cycle
Chapter 4: Everything Else
Chapter 5: Problems, Opportunities, Time
Conclusion
Bibliography
Endorsements and Reviews
The liturgical year in the Eastern Orthodox Church is a wonderful and many-sided thing, a jewel that often lies hidden under the cover of layers of complicated rules, books, and customs. Nicholas Denysenko has done a great service in uncovering it and polishing it off, revealing not only the brilliance of its many facets but also how it has shaped the lives and prayers of believers both in the past and today. Mark Roosien, lecturer in liturgical studies, Yale Institute of Sacred Music and Yale Divinity School
Rooted in the scholarship of Byzantine liturgical history, This Is the Day That the Lord Has Made is a much needed comprehensive, detailed, and accessible survey of the Orthodox liturgical year and its meanings. With reliable clarity, Nicholas Denysenko invites pastoral engagement as he assesses present realities of liturgical celebrations and discusses problems and opportunities for liturgical practice. This exceptional book merits ecumenical attention. It is for all of us who yearn to ‘keep the feast.’Jennifer Lord, professor of homiletics and liturgical studies, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
