Of thine own have we given thee: a liturgical theology of the offertory in Anglicanism

Every Sunday around the world, Christiansoffer money and in-kind gifts to the church, traditionally known as alms. Thisact produces questions about what it means to offer God a gift when God hasoffered humanity the greatest gift in Jesus Christ, or the balance of favour orgratitude in the giving of these gifts. These very questions, and more, havehad a significant influence on the liturgy, particularly in the offertory,within Anglicanism.

In Of Thine Own Have We Given, ShawnO. Strout provides a comprehensive analysis of the offertory rites, includingin his analysis other churches within the Anglican Communion, beyond the Churchof England. Ordered historically, the book encompasses the sixteenth centurythrough to current times, scrutinisingthe offertory and oblationarychanges throughout their religious and historical contexts.Stroutargues that the development of oblation in the offertory was neither arbitrarynor episodic but rather the result of sustained theological tension. Usingliturgical theology's tools of historical, textual, and contextual analyses,the book examineswhy these developments occurred and their importancefor the church today.