In Tune With the World: A Theory of Festivity

The principal thesis of Pieper's book is that festivity is first and foremost a celebration of being and the whole creation as gift. For Pieper festivity and worship are interconnected. As usual, Pieper's writing is crystal clear and a joy to read. On easter, he writes: "Easter itself, although it celebrates a historical event, could never be a real festival, let alone "the festival of the Church", if it were not more than and different from a mere memorial day. What is in truth involved is a mysterious contemporizing of this event, which evokes an incomparably more real present than memory can". This thought resonated with me following a week spent at Solemes Abbey, where each Mass was (and is) an extraodinary solemn and festive occasion. I experienced there a powerful sense of memory i.e. the Church's memory of the Lord's last supper and passion was a real lived and sacred memory which was being kind of breathed into my memory, so that it became my memory too.

Pieper's argument is outstanding, expansive and joyful. This particular edition, on the other hand, is riddled with typographical errors that make the reading more of an effort than it would otherwise be. One example is that the letter "b" often appears as the letter "h". One wonders why these errors were allowed to make it into print and thus sully what is otherwise a very pleasant way to pass an afternoon.

Father Thomas Hopko has remarked, along with many others, that man is essentially homo adorans. That is, we are created to glorify and celebrate. God, the chief object of our glorification, and the very nature and cycle of our existence are the continual subjects of adoration and festive reflection across so many cultures and times. Even when the concept of God is removed from society, there persists the nagging need to commemorate and celebrate the past in terms quite religious. Memorial Day is a real anamnesis, Thanksgiving is eucharistic, etc. Some will disagree with this thesis, but I think it bears consideration.

Pieper does something similar in his work by drawing on the ancient and more recent past to analyze the notions of Feast, sacred rest, and joy. This book ties in very well with his book on leisure and is very insightful. I would also recommend Alexander Schmemann's "For the Life of the World" as an excellent introduction to the sacramental worldview. Enjoy!

Josef Pieper is probably best known for his book "Leisure: The Basis of Culture." This book on festivity is a good companion to that volume. Pieper discusses festivity's contrast to ordinary, everyday work, but points out that festivity involves more than the absence of labor. Real festivity also requires a quality of spirit which makes enjoyment possible, and that quality of spirit is love. He says, "One who loves nothing and nobody cannot possibly rejoice." The artificial festivals created by business can not possibly regenerate us the way festival is meant to do, because they are rooted in acquisitiveness rather than love and generosity of spirit. This is a beautiful book which will make you want to celebrate something truly festive!