Beyond Smells & Bells: The Wonder and Power of Christian Liturgy

Mark Galli is senior managing editor of Christianity Today. He is a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary and the author of Francis of Assisi and His World, and Jesus Mean and Wild: The Unexpected Love of an Untamable God. He is married and has been worshiping in the Anglican tradition for nearly 20 years, most recently as a member of Church of the Resurrection in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.

"Mark Galli's book almost pursuades me to become high church! This warm and personal overview commits me to work for a renewal of historic liturgical practice in the so-called low churches." -Scot McKnight Ph.D., author of The Jesus Creed

"In this warm and engaging book, Mark Galli makes a compelling case for the relevance of Christian liturgy in our postmodern, individualistic age. Through lucid examples and moving personal testimony, Galli explains the countercultural appeal of liturgical worship that spans the denominational spectrum." -Colleen Carroll Campbell, former White House speechwriter and author of The New Faithful: Why Young Adults Are Embracing Christian Orthodoxy

Liturgy lures us through our senses, grounds us in a great tradition, and plants us in the midst of a diverse community, present and past.

Are you attracted to liturgy but don’t know why? Are you considering changing to liturgical tradition? Are you already immersed in liturgical worship but want to grasp its deeper significance? Beyond Smells and Bells addresses the lure and relevance of liturgy for your life today.

Thousands of Christians become interest in liturgy each year for the first time, as they turn to orthodoxy, tradition, and the lasting rituals of the Christian faith. In a culture that values spontaneity, liturgy grounds us in something enduring. In a culture that assumes truth is a product of the mind, liturgy helps us experience truth in mind, body, and spirit. In Mark Galli's able telling, liturgy is an intruguing story, full of mystery, that transforms us.

At a time when magazines and journals are documenting the upsurge of interest in liturgy and ritual, a book from the senior managing editor of Christianity Today would seem well-timed. Unfortunately Galli, trying to cover all the bases from Eastern Orthodox to Presbyterian in exploring how liturgy helps to cultivate God's people, speaks too broadly and generically for an audience that is just discovering and trying to fathom formal worship traditions. Galli thoughtfully addresses the way in which liturgy shapes us in general, by changing our focus, sense of time and culture. But the lack of specific examples (in an effort to be inclusive) leaves readers with theory that may be difficult to translate into Sunday morning worship. However, Galli's love of the liturgy is clear, and his own stories of the way it has engaged and changed him over time are informative. The book's three appendixes (a glossary of common liturgical terms, a comparison of the order of worship in various traditions and a description of the seasons of the Christian year) will be helpful to newcomers to church traditions. (Apr.) Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.

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Reviewed by Carrie Wulfsberg (Arlington, TX), March 06, 2009

As a convert to liturgical worship in the Eastern Orthodox Church I greatly appreciated Mr. Galli's moving and simple explainations of the various aspects of participation in the mass. I would highly reccommend this book to anyone prayerfully trying to grow in their understanding, appreciation, and faithful participation in the liturgy.

Reviewed by Carrie Wulfsberg (Arlington, Texas), February 24, 2009

Outstanding! As an Eastern Orthodox convert adjusting to liturgical worship I can say this book has greatly deepened my understanding and appreciation of the Mass. I also appreciate the conversational tone of the book because it makes the topic less overwhelming.

Reviewed by Yvonne Walsh (Westland, MI), May 27, 2008

Galli does a wonderful job of explaining the idea of "connectedness" with other Christians, past, present, and future through the liturgical model. He counters the current thinking that traditional worship is passe, and that in order to reach the current generation we must "contemporize" the service. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading Beyond Smells and Bells and I will recommend it to my friends and prayer partners.

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