Book Of Common Prayer
$12.99
The Book of Common Prayer is one of the most influential books in history. First published in the reign of Edward VI, in 1549, it was a product of the English Reformation following the break with Rome. For nearly five centuries, it has formed the order of worship for established Christianity in England. More listeners have heard these prayers, it is said, than the soliloquies of Shakespeare. As British imperial ambitions spread, the Book of Common Prayer became the primary instrument (at least as much as the King James Bible) of English culture, firstly in Ireland in 1551. When the Puritans fled to America in 1620 it was to escape the discipline imposed by of the Book of Common Prayer, yet the book came to embody official religion in America before and after Independence, and is still in use.
Today it is a global book: it was the first book printed in many languages, from north America to southern Africa, to the Indian sub-continent.
In this Very Short Introduction Brian Cummings tells the fascinating history of the Book of Common Prayer, and explains why it is easily misunderstood. Designed in the 1540s as a radical Protestant answer to Catholic “superstition,” within a century (during the English Civil Wars) radical Christians regarded the Book of Common Prayer as itself “superstitious” and even (paradoxically) “Papist.” Changing in meaning and context over time, the Book of Common Prayer has acted as a cultural symbol, affecting the everyday conduct of life as much as the spiritual, and dividing conformity from non-conformity, in social terms as well as religious, from birth to marriage to death.
in stock within 3-5 days of online purchase
SKU (ISBN): 9780198803928
ISBN10: 0198803923
Brian Cummings
Binding: Trade Paper
Published: November 2018
Very Short Introductions
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Related products
-
Life Together : The Classic Exploration Of Christian Community
$15.99Martyred by the Gestapo near the end of World War II for plotting to assassinate Hitler, Dietrich Bonhoeffer left a legacy of writings that has become a prized testimony of faith and courage for Christians around the world. Life Together is Bonhoeffer’s inspiring account of a unique fellowship in an underground seminary during the Nazi years in Germany. It reads like one of Paul’s letters, giving practical advice on how life together in Christ can be sustained in families and groups. The role of personal prayer, worship in common, everyday work, and Christian service is treated in simple, almost biblical, words. Life Together is bread for all who are hungry for the real life of Christian fellowship.
Add to cart1 in stock (additional units can be purchased)
-
Always And Forever Guestbook
$14.99Wedding guest book in faux leather with foil stamping
*6.5″ x 8.5″ x 1″ approx
*160 pages
*Always & Forever Our Wedding Guest Book
*Space to record the guests at wedding reception
*Gold botanical border pattern
*Boxed; interspersed with quotes and sayings
*Ribbon marker
*A lasting keepsakeAdd to cart2 in stock
-
Book Of Common Prayer 1979 Gift Edition
$29.99This gift edition of The Book of Common Prayer by Oxford University Press features a durable imitation leather cover, stained page edges, a ribbon marker, presentation page, and baptismal, confirmation and marriage certificates. It also includes the Revised Common Lectionary.
Add to cart2 in stock (additional units can be purchased)
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.