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Inculturation Of Worship: Forty Years Of Progress And Tradition, Anscar J. Chupungco

Institute of Liturgical Studies Occasional Papers

(from Introduction) For four years last century I had the rare privilege of taking part in a series of liturgical consultations organized by the Lutheran World Federation. I say "rare", because it is not often that a Roman Catholic becomes member of an international study group of Lutherans and, to my gratification, declared by the group an honorary Lutheran! By coincidence or perhaps providence Martin Luther and I were born on the same day. During those memorable years I made lasting friendship with Lutheran scholars like Gordon Lathrop and Anita S. Stauffer. Friendship meant dialogue, and dialogue with them richly …

Liturgical Inculturation: The Future That Awaits Us, Anscar J. Chupungco

Institute of Liturgical Studies Occasional Papers

(from Introduction)

Among Lutherans liturgical inculturation is not a novelty. When Martin Luther translated the Latin liturgy into German and adopted popular songs for church services, he embarked on liturgical inculturation. The vernacular, unlike Latin, is a living language and is thus a sure vehicle of culture. It expresses the people’s thought and behavioral patterns and is an established bearer of their values and institutions. In short, the use of the vernacular in the liturgy is in itself a sign that inculturation has taken place. On the other hand, the type of the vernacular defines the quality of inculturation. There …