Ruth Langer is a Professor of Theology at Boston College, and an expert on Jewish Liturgy and on Christian Jewish Relations.
[2] Langer was educated at Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion, where she received her Ph.D. (1994), MAHL (1985), and Rabbinic Ordination (1986), as well as at Bryn Mawr College (AB 1981).
Langer takes the position that the liturgy developed gradually and over many centuries[3] and that during that period of development, when rabbinic authority differed from popular custom on questions of liturgy, the liturgy always followed popular custom.
[4] Langer's analysis of the development of the Torah service [5] is widely noted.
[6] 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.