The
Lamb's Supper by Scott Hahn
Amazon.com Review
The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth reawakens a surprising
ancient view of the Eucharist, as the harbinger of the supernatural drama
described by the New Testament book of Revelation. Catholic theologian Scott
Hahn thinks that many worshippers receive the sacrament of communion without
ever considering its links to the end of the world, the Apocalypse, and the
Second Coming. Hahn wants to change our minds; he wants us to know that "The
Mass--and I mean every single Mass--is heaven on earth." Literally. So,
Hahn declares, "Now heaven has been unveiled for us with the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ ... Jesus Christ Himself says to you: 'Behold, I
stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I
will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me' (Rv. 3:20)." Hahn's
enthusiasm, as evident even from these short quotes, is considerable--and
infectious. Furthermore, he delivers his arguments with great levity
(demonstrated in chapter titles such as "Oath Meal"), which makes The Lamb's
Supper quite a tasty read. --Michael Joseph Gross
From Publishers Weekly
As with his earlier Rome Sweet Home, Hahn's The Lamb's Supper seeks to bring
scriptural exegesis and Roman Catholic ritual tradition into fruitful dialogue.
The central thrust of this piece is that Catholic liturgy offers the best
interpretive paradigm for studying the Book of Revelation. Hahn divides his
subject matter into three main sections, considering in turn Scripture in the
canon of the Mass, various interpretive approaches to the Book of Revelation and
the mutual illumination of the Catholic Mass and John's Apocalypse. Apart from
vapid section titles (e.g., "Guided Missal," "Resisting a Rest" and "The Need to
Heed the Creed"), which detract from the serious themes presented, Hahn treats
the material quite competently, and he is candid in his enthusiasm for both
biblical liturgics and liturgical exegesis. Hahn's work is a fine introduction
to Eucharistic theology for the Catholic layperson, offering a crash course in
the history of sacrificial worship in ancient Israel. The book has an ecumenical
appeal, especially for Lutherans and Anglicans desiring to better acquaint
themselves with Catholic ritual and the New Testament. The only consideration
noticeably absent from Hahn's liturgical review of Revelation is whether the
doxological splendors of the Mass are marred or made manifest in the hastily
prepared English translations of the Latin Rite issued in the wake of the Second
Vatican Council. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.