Much has been written regarding the western liturgy; the same cannot be said of the Byzantine liturgy. Father Taft contributes to a remedy of that shortfall through this work. In it he traces the origins of the Byzantine Rite during its period of formation: from its earliest recorded beginnings until the end of Byzantium (1453 c.e.). While the rite has undergone some change in the period since then, its outlines remain essentially the same.
The author writes from a lifetime of worship and scholarly research in the Byzantine liturgical tradition. This 'Short History' of the originas and evolution of the Byzantine liturgical synthesis is the fruit of over 30 years' immersion in the sources of its history and theology.
