Liturgy, Worship and Society First Communion: Ritual, Church and Popular Religious Identity, (Hardcover)

One of the most carefully prepared liturgies of any Roman Catholic parish's year is the celebration of 'First Communion'. This is the ritual by which seven or eight year old children are admitted to the Eucharist for the first time. Bringing to the fore the relationship and tensions between liturgy and church structures, this book offers extensive material for reflection and future development.