Light on Darkness: The Untold Story of the Liturgy

In this intermittently illuminating history, medievalist Gillhammer (A Late-Medieval History of the Ancient and Biblical World) explores how Christian liturgy has evolved in Western culture. Tracing how specific rites have changed over time, she explains how Psalm 51—a song of penitence in which King David asks for God’s forgiveness—gained popularity in the Middle Ages for its engagement with sin and repentance, finding its way into church services and private devotions; later, it was set to music by such composers as Bach and Brahms. Dies Irae—a poem filled with references to the Last Judgment—became part of Roman Catholic services honoring the deceased in the late 1600s, cementing its associations with “danger, death,” and spirituality that have persisted in popular culture (the poem’s eerie plainchant melody features in 19th-century classical music and even in modern film scores). Though Gillhammer repeats some of her points about the liturgy’s emotional resonance, she effectively highlights how religious rituals allow people to connect with “community, in the present and across time” and thus remain deeply ingrained in contemporary society in sometimes surprising ways. It’s an intriguing if imperfect look at the enduring influence of religious tradition. (June)