Mission, liturgy, and world in relationality: Towards a decentred liturgical theology of mission

Abstract

In this work I explore how liturgical theologies of mission construe mission in terms of the ways the church and contemporary disciples participate in mission within the liturgical ritual and within the world. Where this thesis seeks to go further than these liturgical theologies of mission is to decentre liturgy as a complete or normative site of mission. This is not to suggest either that liturgy is unnecessary or that mission does not occur within liturgical ritual, but rather to suggest that mission is central to the activity of disciples living in the world, and that liturgy supports that mission. The approach this work adopts in order to bridge worship (on the one hand) and Christian living in the world (on the other) is first, via the concept of mission and second, via a re-construction of mission in terms of sacramentality. This thesis argues that sacramentality bridges the gap between liturgy as missionary, and society, where mission may happen. The advantage here is that the site where mission may happen is not limited to liturgy, but becomes fluid as the church and Christian disciples discern how to live in and out of mission within a particular context. For a robust account of mission to serve this argument, I turn to contemporary, official Roman Catholic documents on the church s mission and liturgy. What I argue in response is for a more nuanced notion of liturgy and world, one that sees them not isolated in two distinct, unrelated contexts, but one in which that mission happens temporally when Christian disciples participate in Christ-like ways. The relationship between Christology and mission in sacramental terms is articulated by exploring sacramentality in the theology of Rowan D. Williams. Williams construes mission implicitly in his theology of sacramentality, enabling this work to bridge the relationship between the points of liturgy, mission, and world. Delores S. Williams provides this thesis with the necessary critical voice to help construct a sacramental theology of mission that addresses the liberative role of justice in mission. Mission, I suggest, is sacramental in the meeting of the Christian s participation in and imitation of Christ s life as the Christian disciple meets those most marginalised by resisting the temptation to dehumanise. In the end, then, this thesis poses a liturgical theology of mission.