Reformed Sacramentality

In Reformed Sacramentality, the late Graham Hughes discusses the role of physicality in worship. He contends that to counter the Reformed tradition’s vulnerability to a cultural colonization by secular modernity, Reformed theology needs to amplify its appreciation for God’s omnipresence in creation with a re-appropriation of the condensed symbols of faith. Hughes’s argument builds on a historical analysis of the Reformed tradition’s rejection of material sacramentality and its ecclesial and cultural consequences. From a late modern vantage point, Hughes advocates for a rediscovery of material sacramentality both as a lever against modern solipsism and as an iconic reminder of God’s radical otherness.

Steffen Lösel is associate professor of systematic theology at Candler School of Theology, Emory University. He received his master of divinity from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria and his doctorate in theology from the University of Tübingen. His book, Kreuzwege: Ein ökumenisches Gespräch mit Hans Urs von Balthasar, appeared in 2001 with Ferdinand Schöningh.