Customer Reviews

The Book of Common Prayer: 1928 Prayerbook (Old Catholic Studies)

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Please note: this is a reprint by Dry Bones Press, a press that specialises in Old Catholic texts, of the classic 1928 Book of Common Prayer, which many tradition Independent and Old Catholic congregations use, as well as a good many continuing Anglicans.

For many Episcopalians (the American version of official Anglicans), the 1928 version of the Book of Common Prayer is still the most prized worship and liturgical form around. When the 'new' Book of Common Prayer was adopted in 1979 (merely the latest in a lengthening line of Prayer Book revision done by the church in America in the past three hundred years), whole parishes balked (and walked) because of the changes; faithful within the church looked for various means of preserving their beloved version of the BCP - my own church had a '1928 Service' every Wednesday afternoon.

The book is not arranged in as user-friendly a manner as the more recent revision (which itself leaves something to be desired in various ways), but it isn't the ordering that causes such devotion to this text. Despite the fact that much of the 'Shakespearean' language of this liturgy is retained in the Rite I form in the newer BCP, there are key differences that make this book the standard bearer to many conservative and traditional Episcopalians.

Like any BCP version, it has the principle services of the church - Communion, Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, Marriage rite, Funeral rite, the Psalter, the Calendar. It also has rites not included in updates - the churching of women, for example; neither will one find inclusive language in the orders of ordination here, for women were not admitted to the three-fold ordained ranks of bishop, priest and deacon while this book was primary. It also contains the collects, epistles and gospel readings for Sundays and major feast days, omitted as well from the later BCP.

The catechism is vastly changed from this to the 1979 revision - it is worth comparing the two to see how changes have taken place. Similarly, the Articles of Religion which conclude the 1928 BCP are placed under the ambiguous heading of 'Historical Documents' in the later BCP.

Not having been raised on either the 1928 or 1979 Book of Common Prayer, I feel somewhat objective about seeing the merits and shortcomings of each version; however, some who see value or shortcomings in either one are reflecting a more general feeling about the church in general - rare is the person who opposes women's ordination who supports the 1979 BCP over the 1928. I have both, side by side on my shelf, together with the Australian Prayer Book, the New Zealand Prayer book, the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, and the 1559 Book of Common Prayer, which shows a grand tradition of diversity and continuity in the Anglican liturgy. The 1928 Book of Common Prayer has a significant place as a strong link between past and present, and is a must-have for students of, and those who generally love, the liturgy.

Ok,
My name is Sarah and I LOVE this prayer book. I am only 13 and I have been reading out of this all my life. As a member of the Episcople Church, I am very fond with many of its readings. I will definatly suggest this book to anyone looking for prayers for ANYTHING. It has weddings, baptisms, funerals, everything. If you are a Christian reader, or anything else for that matter, you should definatly buy a copy of this book. Thanks.

It's wonderful that the 1928 Book of Common Prayer is back in print and available - hopefully to stay. It's remarkable that a book that is so widely loved and used has had a recent history of not being in print or readily available. However, I took off a star of my review because of the high price of this particular edition.

The 1928 Prayer Book is the American version of the Book of Common Prayer, descended from the first Prayer Book composed by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer in 1549. It is very close to the most classic form of the Prayer Book, the 1662 Prayer Book, which is still the official book for the Church of England and much of the Anglican Communion, as well as the theological standard for the new province, the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). The 1928 Prayer Book is used by the continuing Anglican churches, the Reformed Episcopal Church, and many churches in the ACNA.

Not only is it good to see this Prayer Book back in print but to see it in a reasonably priced hardcover edition. So many churches and individuals I know who want a 1928 Prayer Book have had to resort to using beat up old versions that are in disrepair.

To traditional Anglicans, this reprinting of the Prayer Book is a Godsend. But what most people don't know is that the Book of Common Prayer is a profound and beautiful resource for the prayer and devotional life of any Christian. The Prayer Book expresses an orthodox and comprehensive theology and spirituality for all of life, and it helps the individual Christian order his life around prayer, the Bible, and the Church.

So many Christians I meet are floundering in their devotional life with the Lord or find that their prayer life is dull and dry. Using the Prayer Book has given a structure and words to the hearts of many Christians. There are Morning and Evening Prayer services that can be adapted for personal use, and the daily lectionary (system for reading Scripture on a daily basis) guides the Christian in knowing what to read each day. By following the Church year in the Prayer Book, all of time can be sanctified and lived in a more prayerful way.

There are also some short forms of Family Prayer if a family wants to use the prayers and keep things simple. In my home we use the Prayer Book each evening after meal to have a short Evening Prayer service, something that fewer and fewer families are doing. If you're Christian parents wanting to have a family devotional time, why not look into the Prayer Book?

There are also many wonderful, historic prayers for all occasions and situations. What intrigues me is how traditional weddings all use the words from the Book of Common Prayer "Order for Holy Matrimony" because of the beauty, depth, and godliness of the words. At funerals, too, the service from the Prayer Book is often used in part, for the same reasons.

Essentially, the Prayer Book is a comprehensive guide to the Christian life, especially if used with the Bible and in the life of the larger church.

While the Oxford edition of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer will be most welcome to Anglicans, many other Christians would benefit from picking up a copy, regardless of their church tradition.

It is affordable and yet it lives up to the standards of the Anglican and Episcaple churches.