Abstract:

Can the modern world be reconciled to the world of the liturgy? What can the liturgy offer to the existential and ethical concerns of modern people? By embodying and communicating the Christian story, liturgy can challenge and reshape the often-impoverished modern narratives through which we understand human identity and ethics. I situate my discussion within the framework of liturgical social imagery, which understands the world as created, fallen, redeemed in Christ, and directed toward its final eschatological fulfilment in the Kingdom of God. Within this vision, the transformation of worldviews and cultures occurs primarily through the embodied and narrative reconfiguration of our “being-in-the-world,” rather than through rational proofs. I demonstrate that through liturgical practices and prayers, we deepen our understanding of identity and belonging, shape our ethical decision-making, and expand our social and communal horizons beyond the limits of individualism.