Back
In Reformed Sacramentality, the late Graham Hughes discusses the role of physicality in worship. He contends that to counter the Reformed tradition’s vulnerability to a cultural colonization by secular modernity, Reformed theology needs to amplify its appreciation for God’s omnipresence in creation with a re-appropriation of the condensed symbols of faith. Hughes’s argument builds on a historical analysis of the Reformed tradition’s rejection of material sacramentality and its ecclesial and cultural consequences. From a late modern vantage point, Hughes advocates for a rediscovery of material sacramentality both as a lever against modern solipsism and as an iconic reminder of God’s radical otherness.
Graham Hughes received a bachelor of arts and a master of arts in classical Greek at the University of Otago and a doctorate in New Testament studies from Cambridge University. From 1977 to 2003, he taught New Testament studies and, later, liturgical studies at United Theological College in Sydney, Australia. In 2003, Hughes published his liturgical magnum opus, Worship as Meaning: A Liturgical Theology for Late Modernity, with Cambridge University Press. Hughes died on February 16, 2015.
Steffen Lösel is associate professor of systematic theology at Candler School of Theology, Emory University. He received his master of divinity from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria and his doctorate in theology from the University of Tübingen. His book, Kreuzwege: Ein ökumenisches Gespräch mit Hans Urs von Balthasar, appeared in 2001 with Ferdinand Schöningh.
