Societas Liturgica is the international ecumenical society for the study of Christian liturgy and worship. Societas Liturgica has around 300 members who are researchers, academics or practitioners.[1] [2] Anglican members of Societas Liturgica also serve as members of the International Anglican Liturgical Consultation.[3]
Societas Liturgica came into existence through the initiative of Wiebe Vos, a pastor of the Dutch Reformed Church. In 1962 he founded Studia Liturgica, "an international ecumenical quarterly for liturgical research and renewal". In 1965 Vos called a conference of twenty-five liturgists from Europe and North America at the Protestant community of Grandchamp, in Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
The presidents of Societas Liturgica are each elected for a two-year term of office.
| 1967-69 | Placid Murray | Ireland | Roman Catholic | |
| 1969-71 | Ronald Jasper | UK | Anglican | |
| 1971-73 | Pierre-Marie Gy | France | Roman Catholic | |
| 1973-75 | Jean-Jacques von Allmen | Switzerland | Reformed | |
| 1975-77 | Balthasar Fischer | Germany | Roman Catholic | |
| 1977-79 | Thomas Talley | USA | Anglican | |
| 1979-81 | Frederick R. McManus | USA | Roman Catholic | |
| 1981-83 | Hans-Christoph Schmidt-Lauber | Austria | Lutheran | |
| 1983-85 | Geoffrey Wainright | USA / UK | Methodist | |
| 1985-87 | Robert F. Taft | USA | Roman Catholic (Byzantine Rite) | |
| 1987-89 | Donald C. Gray | UK | Anglican | |
| 1989-91 | Paul De Clerck | Belgium | Roman Catholic | |
| 1991-93 | Bruno Bürki | Switzerland | Reformed | |
| 1993-95 | Paul F. Bradshaw | UK / USA | Anglican | |
| 1995-97 | Irmgard Pahl | Germany | Roman Catholic | |
| 1997-99 | Jacob Vellian | India | Syrio-Malabar | |
| 1999-2001 | John Baldovin | USA | Roman Catholic | |
| 2001-03 | Yngvill Martola | Finland | Lutheran | |
| 2003-05 | Ottfried Jordahn | Germany | Lutheran | |
| 2005-07 | David Holeton | Czech Republic | Anglican | |
| 2007-09 | James Puglisi | USA | Roman Catholic | |
| 2009-11 | Karen B. Westerfield Tucker | USA | Methodist | |
| 2011-13 | Gordon Lathrop | USA | Lutheran | |
| 2013-15 | Lizette Larson-Miller | USA | Anglican | |
| 2015-17 | Martin Stuflessor | Germany | Roman Catholic | |
| 2017-19 | Joris Geldorf | Belgium | Roman Catholic | |
| 2019-21 | Bridget Nichols | Ireland | Anglican | |
| 2021-23 | E. Byron (Ron) Anderson | USA | Methodist |
There are full meetings of Societas Liturgica, known as Congresses, every two years. A selection of the papers from each congress is subsequently published in English in the journal Studia Liturgica; in French in the journal La Maison Dieu; and also in German.
| 1967 | Driebergen | The liturgical constitution of the Second Vatican Council and the elaboration on worship of the World Council of Churches 1969 | |
| 1969 | Murroe | Liturgical Language | |
| 1971 | Strasbourg | Contemporary Worship | |
| 1973 | Montserrat Abbey | Prayer Today | |
| 1975 | Trier | Eucharistic Prayers | |
| 1977 | Canterbury | Christian Initiation | |
| 1979 | Washington DC | Ordination Rites[4] | |
| 1981 | Paris | Liturgical Time | |
| 1983 | Vienna | Liturgy and Spirituality | |
| 1985 | Boston | The Lima Text | |
| 1987 | Brixen | Repentance and reconciliation | |
| 1989 | York | Liturgical Inculturation | |
| 1991 | Toronto | The Bible and Worship | |
| 1993 | Friburg | Liturgical Space | |
| 1995 | Dublin | The Future forms of the Liturgy | |
| 1997 | Turku | Liturgy and Music | |
| 1999 | Kottayam | Liturgical Theology | |
| 2001 | Santa Clara | ||
| 2003 | Eindhoven | The Cloud of Witnesses[5] | |
| 2005 | Dresden | Worship as Transformation - "To Heal a Broken World" | |
| 2007 | Palermo | Liturgy and the Public Square | |
| 2009 | Sydney | The Liturgical Year: the Gospel encountering our time | |
| 2011 | Reims | Baptism: Rites and Christian Life | |
| 2013 | Würzburg | Liturgical Reform in the Churches | |
| 2015 | Quebec | Liturgical Formation: traditional task and new challenge | |
| 2017 | Leuven | Symbol of what we are: Liturgical Perspectives on the question of Sacramentality. | |
| 2019 | Durham, UK | Anamnesis: Remembering in Action, Place and Time[6] | |
| 2021 | Online | Liturgy and the Arts | |
| 2023 | Maynooth | Liturgy and Ecumenism |