Winfield Bevins

This book provides a sufficient introduction to the roots and modern expression of being Anglican. I was grateful for the author’s careful definition of terms, as well as a helpful glossary.
This book provides an immersion into the topic at a level I would classify as ‘Anglican-lite’ and plenty of titles are provided for recommendations of further reading.
A couple of typos and grammatical errors should be corrected for future editions, but they will not detract from understanding of the text.… (meer)

In “Liturgical Mission,” author Winfield Bevins calls us to discover and embrace how the liturgical and missional sides of our faith fit together. The book expounds upon the importance of “recovering a holistic framework that weaves together faith, worship, and mission” and “the vital link between liturgy and mission.”

In Chapter 1, I found myself encouraged reading of the liturgical renewal that has been happening in the Church from earlier centuries through our current era. Bevins states, “For many people who are embracing liturgy, it is not about reliving the past; it is about retrieving tradition and appropriating it into the context of life in the twenty-first century.”

As a soon-to-be confirmed Anglican, I especially enjoyed Chapters 2 and 3, for the thorough explanation of the different aspects of the liturgy and their impact: “As we come together week after week, we are slowly formed by the words, prayers, and sacred rhythms of the liturgy. The poetic words, the prayers, and the reading of Scripture leave an imprint on our souls, and these practices shape us into men and women of God.“

Describing the importance of both saving souls and meeting physical and other needs, Bevins writes: “Holistic mission reminds us we are to care about the whole person. It means that because we care about the gospel, we should care about people's souls; we should care about their bodies; we should care about their communities; and we should care about creation.”

My only issue with the book is that it was quite repetitive. In one case, there was even a sentence repeated almost exactly verbatim not even a page away from the sentence like it. Another time, the same point was mentioned in only the slightest different wording in not two but three different sentences within the same paragraph.

All in all, “Liturgical Mission” is a helpful book that will assist believers in understanding the different aspects of the liturgy and how liturgy influences mission.

I received a review copy of this book for free from the publisher, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. All opinions are my own.… (meer)