Perceiving the Divine: Alexander Schmemann and the Sacramental Affordances of the Liturgy

The Orthodox liturgical theologian Alexander Schmemann is well known for his view that the liturgy is the locus theologicus par excellence and the fundamental source of a sacramental worldview. In this article, I develop these insights from Schmemann by drawing upon James Gibson’s ecological psychology of perceptual affordances and the Patristic doctrine of spiritual senses. I argue that the liturgy is a privileged place for the cultivation of spiritual senses, which are necessary for perceiving the world sacramentally. I first focus on the liturgical objects of spiritual perception, which I conceptualize in terms of sacramental affordances. I then turn to the liturgical subject of spiritual perception, the homo adorans , and examine the way spiritual senses enable the perception of sacramental affordances in the liturgy. By reinforcing the philosophical and theological foundations of Schmemann’s sacramental vision, I demonstrate the continual relevance of the liturgy for Christian formation.