Ruth Langer is a Professor of Theology at Boston College, and a noted expert on Jewish Liturgy and on Christian Jewish Relations. She is married to Jonathan Sarna.
Langer takes the position that the liturgy developed gradually and over many centuries and that during that period of development, when rabbinic authority differed from popular custom on questions of liturgy, the liturgy always followed popular custom. Langer’s analysis of the development of the Torah service is particularly widely noted.
Jewish-Christian Relations
In criticizing some parts of the Christian liturgy seen as anti-Jewish, Langer has explained that the Jewish liturgy does not include anti-Christian prayers.
Writings
Books
Cursing the Christians?: A History of the Birkat HaMinim
Liturgy in the Life of the Synagogue: Studies in the History of Jewish Prayer, ed. Ruth Langer and Steven Fine
To Worship God Properly: Tensions between Liturgical Custom and Halakhah in Judaism
Publications
"A Jewish Response," in Sic et Non: Encountering Dominus Iesus, ed. Stephen J Pope and Charles Hefling
"Liturgy and Sensory Experience," in Christianity in Jewish Terms, ed. Tikva Frymer-Kensky, David Novak, Peter Ochs, David Fox Sandmel, Michael A. Signer, 189-195, 386-7.
"Revisiting Early Rabbinic Liturgy: The Recent Contributions of Ezra Fleischer," Prooftexts 19:2 : 179-204; and "Considerations of Method: A Response to Ezra Fleischer," Prooftexts 20:3 : 384-387.
"From Study of Scripture to a Reenactment of Sinai," Worship 72:1 : 43-67.
"Birkat Betulim: A Study of the Jewish Celebration of Bridal Virginity," Proceedings of the American Academy for Jewish Research LXI : 53-94.
“Biblical Texts in Jewish Prayers: Their History and Function,” in a volume of papers from a conference in November 2005 in Aachen, Germany.
“The Earliest Texts of the Birkat Haminim”, with Uri Ehrlich, forthcoming in Hebrew Union College Annual 77.
“Telling the Catholic Story of Covenant in the Presence of Jews: A Response to Rev. Lawrence Frizzell” forthcoming in a JPII Cultural Center publication.
“Liturgy,” forthcoming in the Encyclopaedia Judaica, revised edition.
“From Study of Scripture to a Reenactment of Sinai: The Emergence of the Synagogue Torah Service,” reprinted in the Journal of Synagogue Music 31:1 : 104-125.
A Dictionary of Jewish-Christian Relations, edited by Edward Kessler and Neil Wenborn, entries on "Amidah", "Birkat Hamazon", "Birkat Haminim", "Bread", "Candle", "Intercessions", "Wine".
“Sinai, Zion, and God in the Synagogue: Celebrating Torah in Ashkenaz,” in Liturgy in the Life of the Synagogue: Studies in the History of Jewish Prayer, ed. Ruth Langer and Steven Fine, 121-159.
“Hanukkah: A Holiday of Witness” in Preach : 24-26.
“Worship and Devotional Life: Jewish Worship,” in the Encyclopedia of Religion, 14:9805-9809.
“The Liturgical Writings of J. Leonard Levy: The Judaism of an American Reform Rabbi,” in Pursuing Peace Across the Alleghenies: The Rodef Shalom Congregation, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1856–2005, edited by Walter Jacob, 201-230.
“Theologies of Self and Other in Jewish Liturgies,” CCAR Journal: A Reform Jewish Quarterly : 3-41.
“Prayer and Worship,” in Modern Judaism: An Oxford Guide, edited by Nicholas de Lange and Miri Freud-Kandel, 231-242.
“Early Rabbinic Liturgy in its Palestinian Milieu: Did Non-Rabbis Know the ‘Amidah?” in When Judaism and Christianity Began: Essays in Memory of Anthony J. Saldarini, ed. Daniel Harrington, Alan J. Avery-Peck, and Jacob Neusner, pp. 423–439.
“Jewish Understandings of the Religious Other,” Theological Studies 64 : 255-277.
“The Amidah as Formative Jewish Prayer,” in Identität durch Gebet: Zur gemeinschaftsbildenden Funktion institutionalisierten Betens in Judentum und Christentum, ed. Albert Gerhards, Andrea Doeker and Peter Ebenbauer, 127-156.
“Early Medieval Celebrations of Torah in the Synagogue: A Study of the Rituals of the Seder Rav Amram Gaon and Massekhet Soferim,” Kenishta: Studies of the Synagogue World 2 : 99-118.
