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The Rev. Dr. Ruth Meyers
Hodges-Haynes Professor of Liturgics

B.S., Syracuse University
M.Div., Seabury-Western Theological Seminary
M.A., Ph.D., University of Notre Dame

"Liturgy is a community’s response to God’s self-giving for the life of the world. Gathered by the Spirit, the assembly is drawn into Christ’s liturgy, the paschal mystery of his dying and rising. Remembering God’s work of creation and redemption, the people of God offer praise and thanksgiving and pour out their intercession for a world still hungering for the fullness of God’s reign. The study of liturgy roots students in the Christian liturgical tradition and enables them to draw upon that tradition faithfully and creatively in the face of the emerging realities of the church and the world today."

Tentative Course Descriptions for 2009-2011

Introduction to Worship  A basic course in fundamental aspects of liturgy, including an overview of the historical evolution of Christian worship and experiential aspects of liturgical participation.

Liturgics  This course in sacramental theology probes the rites of Christian Initiation, the Eucharist, and Holy Orders, as well as other sacramental rites, as they relate to our understanding of the nature of the Church.

Christian Initiation  A seminar course exploring the historical development of Christian initiation practices and their theological interpretation.

Liturgical Inculturation  A seminar study of the biblical, theological, and historical foundations for inculturation of the liturgy and the ways in which contemporary liturgies are inculturated in particular contexts.

Sacramental Theology of the Reformation  A seminar study of the baptismal and eucharistic theologies and liturgies of major Western sixteen-century theologians and traditions.

Liturgical Year  A seminar exploring the historical development and theological content of Christian feasts and seasons.

Selected Publications

“Rites of Initiation,”   in the Oxford Guide to The Book of Common Prayer Worldwide, Charles Hefling and Cynthia Shattuck, eds, Oxford University Press, 2006.

“Fresh Thoughts on Confirmation,”Anglican Theological Review 88, (2006).

“The Promise and Perils of Liturgical Change,” Anglican Theological Review 86 (2004).

“Journey of Faith: Current Practices of Christian Initiation,” in Todd Johnson, ed., The Conviction of Things Not Seen: Currents in Protestant Christianity in the Twenty-First Century, Brazos Press, 2002.

Gleanings:  Essays on Expansive Language with Prayers for Various Occasions, Church Publishing, Inc., 2001, Editor and contributor.

“By Water and the Holy Spirit: Baptism and Confirmation in Anglicanism,” in Robert Boak Slocum, ed., Engaging the Spirit: Essays on the Life and Theology of the Holy Spirit, Church Publishing, Inc., 2001.

“The Gift of Authority:  New Steps in Anglican/Roman Catholic Relations; An Anglican Response,” Ecumenical Trends 30 (June 2001).

Continuing the Reformation: Re-Visioning Baptism in the Episcopal Church, Church Publishing, Inc., 1997.