Dimensions of Worship in the Shema: Resources for Christian Liturgical Theology

Abstract

The centrality of the Shema in Jewish faith and life serves as a rich case study for Christian liturgical theology. The role and significance of the Shema in Jewish daily prayer, liturgy and performative ritualization points to dimensions of worship in which text and action, liturgy and life, prayer and politics, converge. Liturgical, historical, performative, biblical and theological aspects of the Shema are interpreted in relation to Paul Tillich’s notion of “ultimate concern” and Walter Brueggemann’s exegesis of “God-neighbour” to advance a more holistic Christian lex orandi.