A fresh perspective on how liturgy can support social justice work
Proclaim! is an exploration of Episcopal liturgy from a black, queer, millennial perspective, with an eye toward proclamation and justice. Part memoir, part history, part biblical studies, and part practical theology, Proclaim! suggests that the politics of our liturgical tradition is the ground from which we can engage in the justice work that our world needs. Each chapter explores theology, a biblical story, and the real-world practice of evangelism and mission. The liturgy can serve as the theological well from which we might draw wisdom to engage the issues of justice, equity, and compassion in the world today. The question is not whether or not to engage politics; rather, the question is: whose politics are being reflected?
Furthermore, what shape might our lives take if we took our worship of God seriously? People who are curious about what justice looks like in the Church or who are seeking new resources to sustain their work will be affirmed in Halley’s book.
MARCUS GEORGE HALLEY serves as College Chaplain and Dean of Spiritual and Religious Life at Trinity College in Hartford, CT. A 2015 graduate of the School of Theology at Sewanee: the University of the South, he has returned to his alma mater to pursue a Doctor of Ministry, focusing his studies on liturgy and discipleship as the seedbed for revival and renewal. His vocational interests lie at the intersection of mission, liturgy, discipleship, and justice. He lives in Fairfield, CT.
“In Proclaim! Marcus Halley calls the Church to the primary missiological significance of the Eucharist. He reminds readers that the Eucharist both draws us closer to Jesus as disciples while also empowering us and sending us as apostles of the mission of God. This book stands in the long tradition of Anglican missiology by emphasizing that our worship has everything to do with God’s mission of restoration and reconciliation in the world. It is a wise and urgent call for the Church in this new missional age.” —The Rt. Rev. Ian T. Douglas, Bishop Diocesan, The Episcopal Church in Connecticut
“In Proclaim! Marcus Halley invites the Church to imagine itself on one long continuum of love, whether that be in the baptized assembly, in our places of work, or at home. For him, there is no false choice between mission and liturgy, but rather a symbiotic relationship wherein the two nourish, challenge, and stretch one another. I commend this book to any person or community seeking to carry their Sunday celebrations into the other six days of the week.”
—Broderick L. Greer, Canon Precentor, Saint John’s Cathedral, Denver
“Grounded in the order of worship, this book shows how we will always be connected to the God’s grace of love, transformation, and reconciliation if we only accept the Holy Spirit’s constant invitation.”
—Rachel Babbitt, Missioner for Community Engagement, Episcopal Church in Minnesota
“Marcus Halley’s powerful book teaches us that the liturgy is not a respite from the world but a training ground for discipleship, a laboratory for transformation, and a spur to action. . . . Essential reading for everyone called to join in God’s mission of liberation and reconciliation—which is to say, all of us.”
—James F. Turrell, Norma Olan Mills Professor of Divinity, University of the South
