A seminar of people who read and react to one another’s scholarship, focusing on the intersections of liturgical studies with recent discourses such as but not limited to post-modernism, post-structuralism and critical theory.
Convener
Seminar Report 2026
Convener
David Turnbloom
Description of Work
Overall, this year’s seminar time was dedicated to the themes of
decoloniality and hospitality. Our first session was dedicated to
three papers that engaged the book, “On Decoloniality: Concepts,
Analytics, Praxis,” by Walter Mignolo and Catherine Walsh. Our
Third session also engaged the topic of decoloniality, but we
focused on workshopping three works-in-progress presented by
seminar members. For example, we discussed papers that
examined the Amazonian Rite, colonial structures in the
sacrament of penance, and the role of maps in the lobbies of
Korean megachurches. Sessions two and four were
critical-theories-and-liturgical-studies
four given over to discussions of works in progress. For example,
we discussed papers that examined the role of consent in
liturgical hospitality, the place of non-communicants at eucharistic
celebrations, and the impacts of Whiteness on eucharistic
presence.
Other Work and Plans for the Future
Next year, our seminar plans to focus its attention on analysis of
political liturgies. We chose this focus because members of the
seminar found Lester Ruth’s plenary address to be a provocative
challenge. Our goal is to gather papers that help us use various
critical theories to think about how political liturgies are impacting
the life of our faith communities and the world in which they exist.
Seminar Report 2023
Convener
Gerald Liu, PhD (geraldcliu@gmail.com) is Director of Collegiate Ministries, Initiatives, and Belonging for the Global Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church. He is an ordained United Methodist Elder of the Mississippi Annual Conference.
Members in Attendance
Tony Alonso, Kim Belcher, Steph Budwey, Cládio Carvalhaes, Ben Durheim, Hansol Goo, Sarah Johnson, Layla Karst, Gerald Liu, Kristine Suna-Koro, Ricky Manalo, kat Olson, Gabriel Pivarnik, Diana San- chez-Bushong, Audrey Seah, Rebecca Spurrier, Lis Valle, Andrew Wymer
Visitor in Attendance
Ken Amadi, Lisa Hancock, Tom McLean, C.J. Jones, J.J. Wright, John, Joshua Zentner-Barret
Description of Work
On day 1, we discussed liturgical inculturation in varied contexts such as the African continent and masses for the deaf and hearing im- paired. We also attended to a dissertation chapter considering aspects of co-rela- tion in homiletics building upon the work of George Herber Mead, another work discussing the role of Christian ritual in rural social ethics and identity formation, and an article considering the role of liturgy in an increasingly religiously dis- interested 21st century. On day 2, we discussed readings from Mary Douglas to think about liturgy and crisis and an article discussing the ecumenical weight and attention to crisis of the Lund liturgy. We also dialogued about freedom within the Book of Common Prayer, transformations of material culture within the Roman Catholic Church, and a book about liturgical eco-theology.
Papers and Presentations
- Audrey Seah, “Liturgical Inculturation: Then and Now” Layla Karst, respondent
- Kat Olson, Vanderbilt dissertation Ben Durheim, respondent
- Ben Durheim, “Rural Shibboleth: Social Ethics and Symbolic Depth in Rural ”
Sarah Johnson, respondent
- Kristina Suna-Koro, “Is it a Tenebrae Moment Again?: On Crisis in Liturgi- cal Theology as an Opportunity for Renewal.”
Ken Amadi, respondent - Kim Belcher, “Readings from Mary Douglas (moderator); Ritual Tech- niques in Affliction Rites and the Lutheran-Catholic Ecumenical Liturgy of Lund, 2016.”
- Steph Budwey, “Performance of the Liturgy” in Oxford Handbook of the Book of Common Prayer.
Kristine Suna-Koro, respondent - Tony Alonso [remotely], “On the Host in the Modern ”
Gabriel Pivarnik, respondent - Cláudio Carvalhaes, “Inventory, Metamorphoses and Emergenc(i)es: How Do We Become Green People and Earth Communities?”
Rebecca Spurrier, moderator
Other Work and Plans for the Future
Tentative plans for next year are to dis- cuss rites of healing, affliction, rupture, and schism.
Seminar Report 2022
Convener
Rev. Gerald C. Liu, PhD, Director of Collegiate Ministries, Initiatives, and Belonging for the Global Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church.
Members in Attendance
Gerald Liu, Kim Belcher, Layla Karst, Ruth Meyers, Ricky Manalo, Nathaniel Marx, Gabriel Pivarnik, Rebecca Spurrier, Kristine Suna-Koro, David Turnbloom, Sarah Johnson (virtually), Jason Smith (virtually)
Visitors in Attendance
Hansol Goo. J. J. Wright, Kat Olson, Ken Amadi, Samantha Slaubaugh
Description of Work
For 2022, we focused our time upon papers and respondents focusing upon the question, ‘What is Liturgy?’ and we also discussed Ritual at World’s End: Essays on Eco-Liturgical Liberation Theology by Claudio Carvalhaes. Paper presenters included Layla Karst, Jason Smith, Gabriel Pivarnik, and Kristine Suna-Koro. Respondents included David Turnbloom and Hansol Goo. Kristine Suna-Koro, Rebecca Spurrier, and I helped to introduce the work of Carvalhaes and Carvalhaes also spoke about his publication.
Papers and Presentations
- Claudio Carvalhaes, “Ritual at World’s End: Essays on Eco-Liturgical Liberation Theology
Gabriel Pivarnik, “What is Liturgy in a World Where the Symbolic is Disappearing?”
Layla Karst, “What is Liturgy? A Roman Catholic Response”
Jason Smith, “The Liturgy of Sports: Or How to Celebrate Contingency Without Believing that God Loves Tom Brady More than Everyone Else”
Kristine Suna-Koro, “What is liturgy, then? Five Theses From the SpaceTime of Pandemic: A Thinkpiece”Respondents with formal but untitled presentations were David Turnbloom, Hansol Goo, Rebecca Spurrier, and Gerald Liu.
Other Work and Plans for the Future
We have proposed discussing rites and response to personal, social, and ecological crisis and/or a discussing writing(s) of Mary Douglas.