Public liturgy

Fenn quotes Daniel Bell’s complaints that liturgies “drain” energies that should belong to useful institutions like political parties and comments “On this view, the genuine public sphere is outside the church, which becomes the sphere of private self-absorption and self-celebration.” By contrast, “to the believer, it is the liturgy that is truly public, and to participate in the liturgy is to free oneself from the narcissistic, self-preoccupation of everyday life, from political pride and all forms of social prejudice.”