In Spirit and Truth

The Very Rev. Sylvia Sweeney, PhD is Dean and President of Bloy House, the Episcopal Theological School at Los Angeles where she also teaches Liturgics and Homiletics. Before coming to Bloy House in 2009, she was a parish priest in congregations in Montana, Idaho, and California. She is the author of Ecofeminist Perspective on Ash Wednesday and Lent (Peter Lang Publishing, 2009) and Winged with Longing for Better Things (Church Publishing, November 2019). A core theme of her teaching and writing is how a well-developed twenty-first-century baptismally centered theology of the church offers essential common ground for conversation and cooperation between scholars and (lay and ordained) ministers.

“The essays of In Spirit and Truth are a generous invitation to learn more about the deep theological, spiritual, and cultural issues calling the Episcopal Church to liturgical revision. In these pages, some of our church’s finest scholars and liturgists consider how Resolution A068 of the 79th General Convention provides a long-awaited opportunity for our beloved tradition to adapt in faithful and creative ways. At its best, the work of General Convention inspires books like this.”—Gay Clark Jennings, President, House of Deputies of the Episcopal Church“…..In Spirit and Truth following another volume (2018’s Issues in Prayer Book Revision), along with journal articles, online conferences, and websites devoted to just ‘liturgical revision’ could mean. The goal of this volume is primarily to promote conversation beyond the academy and the church’s liturgical gatekeepers….”—Doxology, Volume 32.1“From time to time, the natural evolution of the Church’s liturgical life comes to a crossroads moment that demands of us a hard look at how we pray together. It’s sort of like packing for a journey and deciding what to take along and what to leave behind. The Church is presently at such a crossroads, and the essays in this book will stimulate a lot of useful conversation about what we need for the journey ahead.”—Neil Alexander, Chair of the Task Force for Liturgical and Prayer Book Revision“Liturgy at its heart is an encounter with Christ, grounded in Baptism and sustained and deepened in the Eucharist; liturgical revision is guided by and serves this encounter. The lucid and accessible essays that make up this volume invite the Church to discern how the Spirit is calling us to extend the reach of Christ’s ‘saving embrace’ through our worship and sacramental celebration. A series of questions at the end of each chapter makes this a valuable resource for individual and congregational study and reflection as we look ahead to the revision of the Prayer Book.”—Frank T. Griswold, XXV Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church