The Book of Common Prayer: A Guide

The Book of Common Prayer is a sacred text in more than one sense. This brief, accessible survey examines the contents of the Prayer Book, as it is called, especially its principal services, as well as its origins, its revisions, and its sometimes controversial reception as a cultural icon and a focus of identity for Anglican Christianity.

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The Book of Common Prayer is a remarkable book, a sacred book in more than one sense. It is primarily a liturgical text, meant to be used in corporate worship, and at the same time a literary landmark, a cultural icon, and a focus of identity for Anglican Christianity. This brief, accessible account of the Prayer Book, as it is often called, describes the contents of the classical version of the text, with special emphasis on the services for which it has been used most frequently since it was issued in 1662. Charles Hefling also examines the historical and theological context of the Prayer Book's origins, the changes it has undergone, the controversies it has touched off, and its reception in England, Scotland, and America. Readers are introduced to the political as well as the spiritual influence of the Book of Common Prayer, and to its enduring place in English-speaking religion.