In his recent Worship as a Revelation , Laurence Hemming rightly says that the early church took its liturgical cues from the temple (citing Margaret Barker’s books). But then he adds: Not only because of persecution, but also because “what was so sacred was not to be publicly spoken of or openly discussed . . . much of the historical record is allusive, only elliptically explained, if it is explicated at all.”

But Leviticus explains exactly what happens in the inner sanctuary on the Day of Atonement, and Leviticus was to be read publicly. Paul doesn’t seem to have any hesitation in discussing the goings-on in the Corinthian church (admittedly, in a letter to the church), and early apologists explain what happens in Christian gatherings in some detail. Sacred ritual may be secret in many religions and cultures, but not in Judaism and Christianity.