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Religious Studies & Theology vocabulary · Worship and Ritual

Liturgy

Meaning in religious studies & theology, with examples

/ˈlɪtədʒi/nounCommon term

In religious studies & theology, liturgy means: The fixed order of words, prayers and actions used in public worship, especially in Christian churches; also a particular service, such as the Divine Liturgy.

In Turkish: litürji, ayin düzeni, ayin

How it is used

Used for the Orthodox Divine Liturgy, the Catholic Mass and Anglican services, and also for Jewish prayer services. The adjective liturgical appears in liturgical year, liturgical language (Latin, Greek, Syriac) and liturgical music.

Example sentences

  1. The Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom is the most common service in Orthodox churches.

  2. Latin remained the main language of the Catholic liturgy until the 1960s.

Common collocations

  • the Divine Liturgy
  • liturgical year
  • liturgical language
  • Christian liturgy
  • worshipThe acts of honour, prayer and devotion that believers direct towards God or the divine, either privately or together with others.
  • sacramentIn Christianity, a sacred rite believed to be a visible sign through which God's grace is given, such as baptism and the Eucharist.
  • ritualA set of actions, words or gestures performed in a fixed, repeated way, often with symbolic or religious meaning, such as a prayer service, a wedding or a funeral.
  • churchA building for Christian worship; also a particular Christian community or organization, such as the Catholic Church, or Christians as a whole.

More terms: Worship and Ritual

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