The Liturgical Theology of Aidan Kavanagh, OSB

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Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Fall 2011
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Michelle Gilgannon
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Gilgannon, M. (2011). The Liturgical Theology of Aidan Kavanagh, OSB: Synthesis and Critique (Doctoral
dissertation, Duquesne University). Retrieved from https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/581
This Immediate Access is brought to you for free and open access by Duquesne Scholarship Collection. It has been
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THE LITURGICAL THEOLOGY OF AIDAN KAVANAGH, OSB:
SYNTHESIS AND CRITIQUE

A Dissertation
Submitted to the McAnulty Graduate School of Liberal Arts

Duquesne University

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for
the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

By
Michelle Gilgannon

December 2011
Copyright by
Michelle Gilgannon

2011
THE LITURGICAL THEOLOGY OF AIDAN KAVANAGH, OSB:
SYNTHESIS AND CRITIQUE

By

Michelle Gilgannon

October 5, 2011

________________________________ ________________________________
Dr. George Worgul Dr. Elochukwu Uzukwu
Professor of Theology Associate Professor of Theology
(Committee Chair) (Committee Member)

________________________________
Dr. Sebastian Madathummuriyil
Assistant Professor of Theology
(Committee Member)

________________________________ ________________________________
Dr. James C. Swindal Dr. George Worgul
Dean, McAnulty Graduate School of Chair, Theology
Liberal Arts Professor of Theology
Associate Professor of Philosophy

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ABSTRACT

THE LITURGICAL THEOLOGY OF AIDAN KAVANAGH, OSB:
SYNTHESIS AND CRITIQUE

By
Michelle Gilgannon
December 2011

Dissertation supervised by Professor George Worgul, Ph.D.
This dissertation explores the liturgical theology of the late Aidan Kavanagh,
OSB. His particular approach to liturgy helped to shape the implementation of the
liturgical changes instituted by the Second Vatican Council. His early published works
were instrumental in explaining the goals of these liturgical changes, while his later
works offered a not-so-subtle critique of how the changes had begun to impact the
American Church. Fr. Kavanagh based the importance of liturgy on several unique and
potentially controversial subjects. To Fr. Kavanagh, liturgical theology is theologia
prima and the foundation of all other secondary theology. Participation in the liturgy and
theologia prima is afforded to all those initiated into the Church. For this reason, he
focused much of his scholarship on the rites of initiation and proposed that the Rite of
Christian Initiation of Adults was the norm of baptism. His passionate and provocative
approach to liturgy may still have relevance as the Church embraces continued liturgical
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revision. The first chapter is an exploration of his personal and intellectual background.
It reviews many of his early articles and notes how his tone shifts from one of
explanation to one of critique. The next chapter seeks to define the key elements liturgy,
ecclesiology, sacrament and ritural. The next chapter attempts to unpack his liturgical
theology. Theologia prima, the maxim lex orandi…lex credendi and the issues of liturgy
in regards to culture are explored. This chapter also begins to highlight Fr. Kavanagh‘s
appreciation of the Eastern approach to liturgy and his reliance on the work of Alexander
Schmemann. The next chapter explores his theology of initiation and its importance to
liturgical celebration. The final chapter is a brief synthesis and critique of both his
theology and its continued relevance. The critique comes from the author, other
theologians who engaged his thought during his lifetime and from contemporary issues in
liturgical theology. Fr. Kavanagh‘s theology evidences limitations with regards to
subjects like ecumenism, diversity and post modernity. However, his theology still has
relevance today because of the passion he brought to liturgy and his vision for corporate
worship constituting the Church.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………………….iv
INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………viii
Thesis
Preliminary Reflection on the Liturgy
Content of the Dissertation
Chapter
1. BACKGROUND AND INTELLECTUAL HISTORY………………………...1
Fr. Kavanagh‘s Biological and Family History
Fr. Kavanagh‘s Academic Career and Review of Early Liturgical Theology
2. PERSPECTIVE AND DEFINITIONS OF KEY CONCEPTS…………...….…29
Liturgy
Ecclesiology
Sacrament
Ritual
3. UNPACKING AIDAN KAVANAGH‘S LITURGICAL THEOLOGY………..49
Theologia Prima and Ecclesiology
Lex Orandi…Lex Credendi
The Issue of Culture
4. AIDAN KAVANAGH‘S THEOLOGY OF INITIATION…………………….89
Initiation and Liturgy
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Eastern Influences on Fr. Kavanagh‘s Theology of Initiation
5. SYNTHESIS AND CRITIQUE……………………………………………….127

Detextualization: Overly-idealistic?

The Goal of Liturgy

Lex Orandi…Lex Credendi: A One Way Street?

Implications: Relevance of Aidan Kavanagh‘s Theology in Light of Current
Revisions

Contemporary Issues in Liturgical Theology

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………..…………………….205

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INTRODUCTION

Thesis
The title of this dissertation is, The Liturgical Theology of Aidan Kavanagh, OSB:
Synthesis and Critique. This topic was chosen because of the unique style and
contributions that the late Aidan Kavanagh made to liturgical theology. In researching
his writings in preparation for proposing this topic, it was noted that no one had ever
studied his primary works in great detail. Other works had either focused on individual
aspects of his theology, or had compared a few of his main liturgical concepts to the work
of other liturgical theologians, but there had been no presentation of his complete corpus.
To do justice to Fr. Kavanagh‘s theology, a strategic choice in method had to be
made. Would this work be primarily biographical? Would it be expository? Again, as
no one had ever presented his full theology the decision was made to make this
dissertation an exposition of his work that included biographical details to put his
theology into context. Hence, the exact nature of the thesis is the reading and explanation
of his work in liturgy.
This endeavor has merit because Fr. Kavanagh made important contributions to
liturgical theology, particularly in the reception of the liturgical reforms of Vatican II.1 A
note from a Festschrift written in his honor refers to Fr. Kavanagh as, ―one of the most
influential liturgists of the post-conciliar period.‖2 This sentiment was echoed in the

1 Fr. Kavanagh wrote extensively on the major reforms made to the liturgy by the Second Vatican Council.
The revision of the liturgical text that is currently being implemented in the Church was obviously not
something considered by Fr. Kavanagh. In the final chapter the author will attempt a dialogue between Fr.
Kavanagh‘s theology and the current revision.
2 John Baldovin, cover statement, in Rule of Prayer, Rule of Faith: Essays in Honor of Aidan Kavanagh,
OSB, eds. Nathan Mitchell and John Baldovin (Collegeville, Minn.: The Liturgical Press, 1996).
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memorials written for his funeral.3 His writings produced debate and dissent, and filled
many of his students with a passion to understand the liturgy as he understood it.4
At the same time, the research into his theology uncovered limitations in his
work. Specifically, Fr. Kavanagh‘s theology lacks a systematic methodology. It appears
that Fr. Kavanagh was less a systematic theologian than a strictly liturgical theologian. It
seems that he purposefully limited his focus, and his influence in liturgy mentioned above
can be understood as being a practical theology. Unlike many liturgical scholars, Fr.
Kavanagh focused on the ritual of liturgy and the rites of initiation rather than the
Eucharist. This narrow focus might be attributed to his own adult conversion experience.
Fr. Kavanagh‘s theology is also limited by his historical understanding. Fr.
Kavanagh took a historical approach to liturgy and was committed to studying and
presenting the liturgy and the sacraments of initiation through the lens of history. The
question brought to his theology is whether his historical approach was always accurate.
His historical bias also created limits in his ability to approach the cultural context of
liturgy. While he was aware of the ways culture influenced the early Church, he was
unwilling to apply different cultural contexts to the contemporary liturgy.
The author has also noticed that Fr. Kavanagh‘s theology influenced the style of
the dissertation itself. The early chapters of the dissertation, those that chronicle his life
and publications and those that present his core concepts, are more descriptive than
synthetic. The purpose of this is to be faithful to Fr. Kavanagh‘s own style of writing,
and theology. One of the compelling aspects of Fr. Kavanagh‘s work is his descriptive

3 Jeannette Cezanne, ―Listen to Mrs. Murphy,‖ Notre Dame Magazine Online, (5/2/2007): 1-4, on-line.
Available from Internet, http://www.nd.edu, accessed 25 March 2007. Also, In Memorian: Aidan
Kavanagh, 2007, on-line. Available from Internet, http://www.yale.edu/ism.htm, accessed 25 March 2007.
4 David Fagerberg, Theologia Prima: What is Liturgical Theology? (Chicago: Hillenbrand Books, 2004). 2.
He is completely committed to Fr. Kavanagh‘s liturgical theology.
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