The Sanctus in the Eucharistic Prayer

Description

The sanctus (the "thrice holy" of Isaiah 6.3) is found in almost all eucharistic prayer, ancient and modern, and comprises the prayer recited over the bread and wine at the communion service. The origin of the sanctus as a constituent element in the eucharistic prayer is one of the unsolved mysteries of Christian liturgy, and the author of this study makes a careful investigation into its background and the instances of its occurrence in early Christian literature.

"Spinks has given us a work of immense erudition. His knowledge of primary sources and secondary literature is wide and deep. A great collection of detail is presented without losing the larger picture. Any student of the liturgy, or of the history of the church, will gain much from a careful reading of this work. I doubt that this volume will be equaled on its subject at any point soon. It will quickly takes its place as a standard on the topic." Church History "This is a work of careful, sensitive and mature scholarship that is sure to be a standard resource for years to come." Thomas J. Talley, Worship "...thoroughly-researched carefully crafted..." Religious Studies Review