John Paul Heil

The Letters of Paul As Rituals of Worship: John Paul Heil

Saint Paul is rightly considered a great missionary, evangelist, teacher, preacher, and pastor; but people often forget his role as a pre-eminent and paradigmatic liturgist. Similarly, our most direct access to Paul is through his letters; but we often forget their original function: rituals to be performed publicly in a liturgical assembly. The author corrects this deficiency by focussing on worship in the letters of Paul the Apostle, analysing each of the thirteen letters attributed to him. The result is an innovative new approach that gives the reader a greater understanding of the original purpose and meaning to Paul's letters. Using liturgical and ritualistic language Paul worships through the letters themselves, addressing the audience about theological concepts, particular problems and pressing concerns. Understood in the biblical tradition that dynamically combines liturgical and ethical worship, Paul's letters transcend their immediate context and become meaningful for the moral worship of everyday lives outside the liturgical assembly.