Homiliae Toletanae and the Theology of Lent and Easter

"This book takes seriously the need for a two-fold shift in methodology within the field of liturgical studies and serves as a model for future historical work. The first shift necessary in liturgical studies is a shift to sources other than the central liturgical texts, i.e. the Missal, breviary, lectionary, and books of rites. The second shift necessary in the field is a greater appreciation of the diversity of liturgical celebrations within the Church. In order to engage in such a study, this book analyzes a non-traditional liturgical source within a little-studied liturgical tradition. The source that provides the basis for this study is the 'Homiliae Toletanae' (British Library, Add. 30853), a homiliary for Mass found in the Hispano-Mozarabic Rite. The 'Homiliae Toletanae' dates to circa the seventh/eighth centuries and survives in one tenth/eleventh-century manuscript. It contains homilies for every major temporal and sanctoral feast in the calendar of Toledo. The 'Homiliae Toletanae' is a valuable manuscript for reconstructing and understanding the liturgical practices of seventh/eighth-century Toledo." --back cover