A Prayer Book for Australia: For Use Together With the Book of Common Prayer (1662) and an Australian Prayer Book (1978 [Hardcover]

Anglican Church of Australia (Author, Corporate Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 850 pages
• Publisher: Morehouse Pub Co (October 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 085574166X
• ISBN-13: 978-0855741662
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 6 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,099,327 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Liturgy down under..., May 23, 2004

By 

FrKurt Messick "FrKurt Messick" (Bloomington, IN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Prayer Book for Australia: For Use Together With the Book of Common Prayer (1662) and an Australian Prayer Book (1978 (Hardcover)

The 1970s was a time of liturgical development and renewal in a lot of denominations, and the Anglican church in various provinces was no exception. In 1978, the Anglican Church of Australia produced a Prayer Book for use in conjunction with the standard Anglican Book of Common Prayer (1662). This book was generally well received, but the pace of change in society and liturgy continued to quicken beyond the publication of that text, resulting in this latest offering, a 1994 Prayer Book for Australia. Issues of language and layout were addressed in this volume, which is authorised in Australia for use with both the 1662 and 1978 books.

Some of the issues addressed in this text include the idea of inclusive language -- the masculine pronouns for humanity are dropped in favour of gender-neutral terms; there are still masculine references to God, but these are balanced by other terms that explore the diversity of biblical witness. There are also many additions and changes to the rites of marriages and funerals, making these more accessible and responsive to the people attending, reflecting cultural shifts from 1662 and today.

The book has the basic sections expected in the Book of Common Prayer, arranged differently, for ease of use. The Sunday Services are first, with Morning and Evening Prayers of two orders, Baptismal/Confirmation rites, and primary Eucharistic liturgies (three orders), together with smaller services (thanksgiving for a child, reception of a new member). Following this is a liturgical psalter, with a new inclusive-language translation of the psalms.

There are Daily Prayer services, for group and individual use, for each morning and evening of the week. There is also a listing of the Church Calendar, modified for Australia but still sharing the greater portion with the rest of Christendom, and a listing of the readings for Sundays and major holy days. The Pastoral Services include marriage, healing, funeral and penitential services. The Ordinal includes rites of ordination for deacons, priests and bishops.

The book contains supplemental materials such as a basic catechism, the Anglican Articles of Religion, the Athanasian Creed (not one of the ones commonly used in Western liturgies), and various notes. The book is filled with rubrics, and in the case of this text, the rubrics are genuinely so - the word 'rubric' originally referred to red ink used to print explanatory notes, choreographic and performance directions, etc.; in many modern books, these have been changed to italics, rather than printed in red - in this Prayer Book for Australia, the rubrics are actually in red.

The language is contemporary but stately, meaningful and accessible. Although less widely known and used than the New Zealand Prayer Book, this too is an asset to any Anglican and any person of other denominations looking to enrich their worship experiences.