This significant book asks whether the widespread falling away of the appeal of religious worship is connected with the simplification of liturgical practice over recent decades. Has a well-meant policy of making the language and style of worship more accessible resulted in a loss of the sense of mystery - and has this accelerated the decline' ''The author, who was involved with the development of Common Worship, explores the wider Catholic and Orthodox traditions where nothing like the reforms that have happened within Anglicanism have taken place. Five centuries of change in the Anglican tradition are surveyed, the altered rhythm of the liturgical year, the decline in singing, the rise of the modern worship song - and much more in an attempt to define what renewal of the liturgy for today's church might look like and how re-enchantment would work in practice.
Andrew Burnham was formerly Bishop of Ebbsfleet and is now a Monsignor in Ordinariate. He served on the Liturgical Commission and edited A Manual of Anglo-Catholic Devotion.Aidan Nichols OP is an accomplished Catholic writer and theologian.