A Companion to the Book of Common Prayer

Reviews / Votes

The 1662 Book of Common Prayer has had a massive influence on corporate worship inside and outside the Anglican world ever since it was published. The principles which guided the production of this book take us beyond our contemporary superficial approaches to what we do when we gather as the church of God, allowing the great truths of the gospel to shape our response to that gospel as God\rquote s redeemed people. Gerald Bray is uniquely placed to reacquaint us with those principles. His encyclopaedic knowledge of Anglican history and theology enables us to understand why the various services of the book have the shape they do and so enable us to make better use of them. This is a richly edifying companion to the Book of Common Prayer which I highly recommend.' - Dr Mark D Thompson, Principal, Moore Theological College

'Learned, pastoral, and unafraid to show his theological cards, Gerald Bray has breathed new life into a genre that has nurtured the devotion of millions of Anglicans through the centuries: the prayer book commentary. This Companion emphasises the theological themes of the Book of Common Prayer, treating it not as a historical artifact, nor as a monument of great literature, but as a liturgical embodiment of the good news of Jesus Christ.' - Samuel L. Bray, John N. Matthews Professor of Law at the University of Notre Dame and coeditor of The 1662 Book of Common Prayer: International Edition

'Gerald Bray has studied, written on, and taught the Anglican formularies for decades. Amidst rising interest in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer (including the recent International Edition), this timely Companion comes as an eminently readable and informative guide, and will be profitable to prayer-book newcomers and veterans alike.' - Jake Griesel, Lecturer in Church History and Anglican Studies, George Whitefield College, Cape Townr

'One of the major drivers for the theological renewal of global Anglicanism in the twenty-first century is a rediscovery of the Book of Common Prayer by a new generation. Gerald Bray's overview, building on the classic Tutorial Prayer Book, is a valuable guide for Anglicans worldwide who want to embrace their rich heritage.' - Andrew Atherstone, Wycliffe Hall, Oxford.

'The formation of the Ordinariates for former Anglicans in the Catholic Church in 2011 allowed the use of liturgical texts \lquote proper to the Anglican tradition which have been approved by the Holy See\rquote . The commission set up by the Vatican to oversee liturgy looked to the Prayer Book tradition in Anglicanism for suitable texts for liturgical use. The Ordinariates now have a complete set of liturgical texts using much Prayer Book Material including, Morning and Evening Prayer, the marriage and burial services and material from the Holy Communion Service including the collects. This has a profound ecumenical significance.
For some of us this has meant rediscovering the beauty of the Book of Common Prayer. Dr Bray has done us an invaluable service helping us to appreciate the sources of many of the prayers which are now incorporated into liturgy in the Catholic Church.' - The Right Revd Monsignor Keith Newton, Ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham


THIS Companion is a substantial book, written by an acknowledged scholar of primary Anglican sources, and it will be especially welcomed by those who want to discover more about the 1662 Book of Common Prayer and its antecedents. The material is arranged in ten chapters, and each chapter heading gives a clear steer to the reader of the focus of its attention. The Revd Christopher Irvine In Church Times, Professor at St Augustine's College of Theology and the Liturgical Institute, Mirfield.