The Book of Common Prayer – A Very Short Introduction

Many of us were brought up on the Book of Common Prayer, and I think back fondly to the many winter evenings when I attended Evensong in Winchester Cathedral and felt reassured by being 'guarded from the perils and dangers of the night'. Both books give a fascinating insight into the editorial skills of Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury centrally responsible for the book. The dates are significant, falling as they do during the reign of Edward VI, then Elizabeth I following the Catholic Mary and the return of Charles II after the Cromwell administration. The texts are faithful to the English of the day with what now seems quaint but rather delightful spelling. Interested readers should begin with the very short introduction which puts the work into a historical and liturgical context as well as explaining differing Protestant and Catholic opinions and how the Book was exported by the Empire. In the last 40 years, it has been largely replaced by more modern formats, although it remains present in parallel. It is fairly staggering to learn that it has been translated into nearly 200 languages and dialects and is still used every day in the USA.