The Liturgy of the Hours in East and West

The origins and development of the Divine Office are traced through both Eastern and Western branches of the Church, providing a wealth of historical and liturgical information.

From the small beginnings of a few Christians in New Testament Jerusalem, the prayer of the Church spread, changing and evolving as it met and was assimilated by different cultures.

This classic study is a major resource for the liturgical scholar.

Robert F. Taft, SJ, (1932-2018), was an internationally acknowledged scholar of Eastern Christianity, especially its liturgy and liturgical history. He taught at Rome’s Pontifical Oriental Institute and at the University of Notre Dame.