"This is a superb book. Gillhammer writes with great sensitivity and imagination, skilfully demonstrating how over many centuries the rituals and songs of the liturgy have shaped and given voice to the deepest emotions of human experience. Insightful, accessible and often moving, this book is a wonderful guide to the liturgy, its rich history and its lasting influence on modern culture."

Eleanor Parker, lecturer in medieval English literature at Brasenose College, Oxford, and author of "Winters in the World"

"A beautiful book that gives voice to our deepest human need for ritual and meaning. Through scripture, art, music, poetry and liturgical theology, Gillhammer retells the story of Christian worship through sign and symbol, affirming the place of the liturgy in the modern world and as a gift that continues to shape our culture and our imagination."

Victoria Johnson, Dean of Chapel, St John’s College, Cambridge