The Book of Common Prayer - Classic Anglican Worship Guide for Church Services, Weddings & Daily Devotions | Perfect for Religious Studies & Spiritual Growth

This is a very nice book. But, when I read, "This reprint of the 1662 version features appendices from the 1549 version," in the description, I got the impression it was a reprint/facsimili using the contents of the *original* (printed in 1662) version of the Book of Common Prayer without the modern updates. It is not.This edition is the standard updated version of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer used today in the Church of England. It includes the 1922 updates to the lessons. It includes the updates to the current Monarchy (Elizabeth, Charles, etc.). The tables for finding specific holy days begin in 1999. While it includes the contents of the 1662 edition, it also includes all the modern updates.I was looking for a reproduction of the exact contents of the 1662 edition (even with Elizabethan English spelling--"s"s look like "f"s) so I was a little disappointed.However, I already have a copy of the Oxford and Cambridge editions of the current 1662 Book of Common Prayer and this version is much nicer. It's larger, has a more sturdy binding, and has a beautiful layout and typeface.If you are looking for the current version of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, this edition is *very* good. If you are looking for a reproduction of the Book of Common Prayer as printed in 1662, this is not it.This is a beautiful edition of the BCP. Very well done, and the aesthetics are fantastic. It gets 4 stars because its not great for daily use. Its great for the book shelf, and occasionally getting out for the extras. But if you want a BCP to use every day, there are better options out there. If you want one for occasional reference, and to look really nice, this one is perfect.Having not come from an Anglican background it took me a while to get use to the flow and really how to use this resource. However, once I started to understand it, this book has become incredibly important in the life of my church. The orders and layout is helpful and the text is classic.It's great to have a print copy of this classic BCP which has set the standard for all subsequent offerings, save that of the not so Common Worship of the C. Of E. It is a no frills version, but the paper quality and type set are fine and make a great addition to anyone's theological and practical library. Really a must have.The 1662 BCP is a classic of Christianity, and the standard for Anglican churches worldwide today. Who wouldn't love a prayer book containing a service of thanksgiving for Guy Fawkes Day, or for before going into sea battle?This book was a good read.Contains some of the most eloquent English language available within two covers. Rivals the King James Bible for its grace and dignity.I like this book. It is an anchor to steady my thoughts and feelings. I find the prayers in this book a comfort. A companion, balm for my soul. It is good reading in between the times when I am doing the "Golden Key" of Emmett Fox and "Know the Truth" of Christian Science.Practicing Anglicans throughout the world are doubtless already aware of the this edition. It is compact, in a clear type and astonishingly cheap.But many others, students perhaps, may be interested in handling this book which they have often heard of but never seen.The book was written in England in the mid-sixteenth century, when the Protestant reformers were changing the language of public worship from Latin into English. It author, Archbishop Cranmer, wished to keep as close as possible to the existing forms of worship in the Catholic Church.But he also wished to shorten and simplify them to make them suitable for ordinary lay people. The number of services of public or common worship was cut down to two per day, mattins or morning service and evensong. The Psalter was to be chanted over the course of a month instead of a week. A communion service could be added to mattins.The Latin texts of the services were then faithfully translated from Latin into English, and Catholics nowadays are very familiar with them as they had their translation after Vatican II.The Book of Common Prayer or prayer in common was attacked from two sides. The Catholics wanted to retain the old services in their entirety in Latin. More extreme reformers wanted to ditch all traditional services and construct an entirely new kind of service. The English monarchs however insisted that the Book of Common Prayer and it alone could be used in churches. In the heyday of the British Empire Anglican Churches using the Book of Common Prayer were established all through the Empire and the Book of Common Prayer is used worldwide in the Anglican Communion.As a handbook of what you need to know about Anglican worship this book is indispensible.Like all Everyman titles, this is set in a very legible font and neatly bound. A Chronology covering the years 1485 to 1689 is useful towards understanding contemporary events and their impact.Diarmaid MacCulloch is an Oxford academic, expert on Cranmer and the rise of English Protestantism which saw the Book of Common Prayer take shape. His valuable & detailed Introduction makes clear that the Book of Common Prayer (together with Shakespeare's plays & the King James Bible) has played a key part in forming the English Language as we know it.That is a fact, although even the educated classes may not realise it, far less hoi polloi, 'the multitude whom no man can number' in our increasingly secular Britain, whose Sundays are spent in Shopping Centres, seldom setting foot in church.The Book of Common Prayer is a treasure upon which I am poorly qualified to add any substantive comment beyond saying that I regret not having acquired it sooner. Highly recommended.Very good but I think it may well be based upon the 1928 book rather than the 1662 versionrIt was expectedWhen you understand the history of this one little book and the changes it has wrought in so many aspects of our culture, its astonishing any Christian can fail to own it.