
The Book of Common Prayer
The Texts of 1549, 1559, and 1662
Brian Cummings(Editor)
Oxford University Press
Published on 11. July 2013
Book
Paperback/Softback
896 pages
978-0-19-964520-6 (ISBN)
Description
'In the midst of life we are in death.'
The words of the Book of Common Prayer have permeated deep into the English language all over the world. For nearly 500 years, and for countless people, it has provided a background fanfare for a marriage or a funeral march at a burial. Yet this familiarity also hides a violent and controversial history. When it was first produced the Book of Common Prayer provoked riots and rebellion, and it was banned before being translated into a host of global languages and adopted as the basis for worship in the USA and elsewhere to the present day.
This edition presents the work in three different states: the first edition of 1549, which brought the Reformation into people's homes; the Elizabethan prayer book of 1559, familiar to Shakespeare and Milton; and the edition of 1662, which embodies the religious temper of the nation down to modern times.
'magnificent edition' Diarmaid MacCulloch,London Review of Books
'superb edition...excellent notes and introduction' Rowan Williams, Times Literary Supplement
ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
The words of the Book of Common Prayer have permeated deep into the English language all over the world. For nearly 500 years, and for countless people, it has provided a background fanfare for a marriage or a funeral march at a burial. Yet this familiarity also hides a violent and controversial history. When it was first produced the Book of Common Prayer provoked riots and rebellion, and it was banned before being translated into a host of global languages and adopted as the basis for worship in the USA and elsewhere to the present day.
This edition presents the work in three different states: the first edition of 1549, which brought the Reformation into people's homes; the Elizabethan prayer book of 1559, familiar to Shakespeare and Milton; and the edition of 1662, which embodies the religious temper of the nation down to modern times.
'magnificent edition' Diarmaid MacCulloch,London Review of Books
'superb edition...excellent notes and introduction' Rowan Williams, Times Literary Supplement
ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
Reviews / Votes
This book is an exemplary text ... the reproduction of the three different prayer books is immaculate, and the introductory commentary is original and thought provoking. * Marcus Harmes, Parergon - Journal of the Australian and New Zealand Association for Medieval and Early Modern Studies * magnificent edition * Diarmaid MacCulloch, London Review of Books * superb edition...excellent notes and introduction * Rowan Williams, Times Literary Supplement *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 195 mm
Width: 128 mm
Thickness: 43 mm
Weight
613 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-964520-6 (9780199645206)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Book
09/2011
Oxford University Press
€21.03
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E-Book
09/2011
OUP eBook
€7.49
Available for download

E-Book
09/2011
OUP eBook
€7.49
Available for download
Person
Brian Cummings received his BA at Cambridge University, where he also took his PhD under the supervision of the poet Geoffrey Hill and the church historian Eamon Duffy. He was previously a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge before moving to Sussex, and, from October 2012, the University of York. He was a British Academy Exchange Fellow at the Huntington Library, California, in 2007 and held a three-year Major Research Fellowship with the Leverhulme Trust from 2009 to 2012.
Content
Introduction ; Note on the Texts ; Note on Music ; Select Bibliography ; Biblical Abbreviations ; THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER, 1549 ; THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER, 1559 ; THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER, 1662 ; Appendix A: The Black Rubric, 1552 ; Appendix B: Additional Orders of Service, Articles, and Tables 1662-85 ; Explanatory Notes ; Glossary ; Index of Services and Orders