ILS 2022: Kyrie and Gloria in Liturgy and Life

The Institute of Liturgical Studies at Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Indiana, announces its annual conference Kyrie and Gloria in Liturgy and Life, April 25-27, 2022. Registration information can be found here.

From the promotional materials:

Kyrie and Gloria. This liturgical pairing–Greek and Latin, East and West, eleison and excelsis–has been sung throughout centuries of change. In our own time, cries for mercy reverberate in moans of the oppressed, creation’s groaning, and our laments for racism and violence. Kyrie! Echoes of praise resound in the dance of molecules, through the kaleidoscope of natural beauty around us, and in the songs of angels, saints, and all living creatures. Gloria!

As a contrasting yet interrelated pair, Kyrie and Gloria invite reflection on the nature of paradox, particularly the challenges and opportunities as we cross the threshold into post-pandemic paradigms. Through plenaries, workshops, and liturgies, the 2022 Institute of Liturgical Studies will strive to balance received wisdom with new expressions by considering such topics as:

• diverse expressions of lament and praise;
• liturgy, music, and preaching in the midst of traumas, tensions, and trials;
• the nature and meaning of assembly; and
• creative opportunities that emerge during crisis uncertainty.

These themes and questions will challenge and inspire us to ground our work and worship as we chart and navigate change, dwelling together within the meanings of “Kyrie and Gloria in Liturgy and Life.”

PLENARY SESSIONS
“When Kyrie Eclipses Gloria: Preaching in the Midst of Trauma”
Rev. Dr. Kimberly Wagner, assistant professor and Axel and Gerda Maria (Swanson) Carlson Chair in Homiletics, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.

“Navigating the Intersections and Interstices of Praise, Lament, Tragedy, and Paradox in Conversation with Early Hebrew Poems”
Rev. Canon Hugh R. Page, Jr., professor of theology and africana studies, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana.

“Kyrie and Gloria, on a Planet in Peril”
Dr. Teresa Berger, professor of liturgical studies, Yale Institute of Sacred Music, and Thomas E. Golden Jr. Professor of Catholic Theology, Yale Divinity School, New Haven, Connecticut.

PANEL: Hybrid In-person and Online Communities
Rev. Dr. Craig Mueller
Rev. Liv Larson Andrews
Rev. Jason Chesnut
Dr. Deanna Thompson

SEMINARS
“Crafting Icons of Resistance”
Vicar Mary Button, artist and activist, Kingston, New York.

“Cultivating Resilience through Song”
Paul Vasile, executive director, Music That Makes Community.

“Poetry’s Contributions to Congregational Lament and Praise”
Dr. Jeannette (Jan) Lindholm, hymnwriter, professor of English, Salem State University, Salem, Massachusetts.

“The Incarnate God Aflame: Extending the Eucharistic Feast into Social Unrest”
Deacon David Rojas Martínez, LDA, community engagement and education coordinator, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

“Kyrie as Gloria: Proclaiming Good News in Times of Trauma”
Rev. Dr. Gennifer Benjamin Brooks, Styberg professor of preaching and director of the Styberg Preaching Institute and the DMin program, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Evanston, Illinois.

“The Bible by Heart: Biblical Storytelling in the Liturgy and as a Spiritual Practice”
Rev. Jason Chesnut, founder and chief creative officer at ANKOSfilms.