4 reviews for:

The Book of Common Prayer: (penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)

4.38 AVERAGE

kristjanlarson's review against another edition

3.0

So this was not at all what I was expecting; This appears to be a 17th century Anglican version of what I know of as Christian Prayer: Liturgy of the Hours combined with a catechism ... and it is about as confusing to figure out how to use (actually it was more confusing to me). It start with some admin text outlining how to read the Psalter and the rest of Holy Scripture with tables a rules to calculate where you are in the liturgical calendar. Then we get Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer, The Creed of St Athanasius and the Litany. Where it actually gets interesting is the Prayers and Thanksgivings section ... you get prayers for rain, fair weather, famine, war, plague, thanksgiving, peace et. al. It is only a small part of the book though. Then we get the Collects (short liturgical prayers) and Readings for Seasons and Special Occasions (Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage, Last Rites, Funerals, Birth). After that we get the fire ... or commination (I had to look that up - it is basically threatening divine vengeance against sinners). Then we have the entire Psalter together before jumping back to prayers ... in this case prayers to be used at sea. Then the liturgy for ordaining clergy (Deacons, Priests, Bishops). The book finishes up with the Articles of Religion (a catechism) and appendices/end notes and instructions. The most interesting part of the whole book has to be the glossary ... I found terms no longer common in modern English along with etymologies that makes it more easily understood. When all is said and done, this is primarily of academic interest and not that practical for my daily devotions.

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
#The1662BookofCommonPrayer #NetGalley

yhtak's review against another edition

hopeful slow-paced

4.0

drbobcornwall's review against another edition

3.0

While the Episcopal Church in the US is struggling, it appears Anglicanism as a larger concept is thriving in America. Thus, the need, apparently, for a slightly edited/updated version of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. The 1662 BCP is the last official prayerbook for the Church of England as Parlament hasn't been able to approve a replacement. Thus, this book that was produced after the Restoration of the monarchy in England continues to reign supreme. Like the 1928 American BCP, this one has a certain aura about it. It's not up-to-date in its language. It sounds holy (with the thees and thous present).

This is called an international edition as it is designed to be used across a larger Anglican community. If that is you, then you will enjoy it.

As a historian of the Church of England, I find it a useful resource to keep on hand.

jmccyoung's review against another edition

informative inspiring medium-paced

4.5

Personally, I would have preferred am original spelling version but modernized was arguably less distracting. If you read this book, be advised that there are both brief footnotes - primarily glosses on archaic vocabulary - *and* more substantial endnotes. There's a good history of the 1559 book following the edition proper, going back to the Edwardian prayer books and forward to the 1662, discussing their textual and doctrinal relationship.