Long time fans of the site New Liturgical Movement will be pleased to hear that founder Shawn Tribe has launched a new website today, Liturgical Arts Journal. Using an approach and philosophy similar to that of New Liturgical Movement (from which Mr. Tribe retired from 4 years ago), Liturgical Arts Journal (or LAJ) will avoid polemics and unnecessary criticism, instead focusing on what it stands for rather than what it is against. Criticism will be constructive, seeking solutions firmly set in tradition and rooted in principles.

In introducing his new site, Tribe further defines its mission:

If that is the approach of the site, in terms of its content you can expect to find daily articles on all of the liturgical arts, be it sacred vestments, liturgical bookbinding, sacred architecture and music, church renovations, even commentary on liturgical prose (for why should the style and content of liturgical prose be considered any less an instance of liturgical art?).

Even more specifically, LAJ will focus on:

“…historical examples of the liturgical arts down through the centuries, along with features and reviews on current craftsmanship being executed today by present day liturgical artists and craftsmen that we believe exemplify beauty, continuity and nobility.”

I strongly encourage you to check out Liturgical Arts Journal and learn more about the beauty and tradition of the sacred liturgy. Rejecting the minimalism that has been synonymous with Modernism, resources such as Mr. Tribe’s new site will help to introduce the faithful (clergy and laity alike) to the beauty and richness of the liturgical arts.