Pierre Hegy

Church weddings, funerals, and most Sunday services reflect the values and dramas of their communities, even when the ministers are the main or sole actors. This point is illustrated by examples ranging from American television masses to the Zairean three-hour services in the Congo. Of greatest interest to readers might be the Sunday services at ordinary parishes, which also range from friendly but uninspiring to innovative and inviting. There are also two exceptionally vital churches analyzed here: an evangelical church in the Pentecostal tradition and a social justice parish in the tradition of Martin Luther King Jr. Today one can hardly buy an item in a store or on the Internet without being asked for an evaluation, yet church services are seldom evaluated. There can be no improvement without evaluation. This book proposes a method of evaluation in eight steps that must be rigorously scientific and at the same time offer a vision for spiritual growth. The prophet Elijah found God in earthquakes and fire, but most people find mystery through art, music, rhythm, chanting, expressive readings, evocative rituals, and enlightened homilies. Today people expect "mystagogy" rather than routine performances. Mystagogy can be learned and improved through evaluation, to which this book desires to make a major contribution.

Introduction to Liturgy Evaluation

Worship as Community Drama

Joseph Martos

Many people believe that the Roman Catholic Church's teaching on marriage is clear and consistent: marriage is a sacrament, the marriage contract is indissoluble, divorce and remarriage are forbidden. In this book, theologians, historians, and sociologists overhaul the church's teaching and practice on divorce and remarriage, as well as personal testimonies from a number of persons who have gone through the annulment process.

The Deception of Annulments

Catholic Divorce

This book presents research in three new areas: Sunday liturgies, homilies, and pastoral concepts. First it presents to the readers the major Latin American document, “Disciples and Missionaries of Jesus-Christ,” which sets the course of the Church in Latin America for the next decade. Next I present the findings about the Sunday liturgies in 100 churches, 50 in Guatemala and 50 the U.S. The following chapter analyzes 100 Sunday homilies in comparison to lay talks, homilies by Fr. Robert Barron, and evangelical sermons. In one more chapter I discuss basic concepts for pastoral research. Chapter 6 discusses the consequences of papal centralization for church renewal. The last chapter outlines ten basic paths of renewal. What is new in this book is the research on Sunday liturgies, homilies, and pastoral concepts.

Pierre Hegy

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