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Definition:
The Book of Common Prayer (BCP), written in 1549 by Archbishop Thomas
Cramner, replaced the old Latin service of worship during the reign of King
Henry VIII. The full title at this time was "The Book of the Common Prayer and
Administration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church
after the Use of the Church of England". Use of it was mandated in the Act of
Uniformity, passed by parliament on January 21, 1549 in order to ensure that all
churches had it.
Creation of this book was a decisive move in the direction of Protestantism because this liturgical book places the primary emphasis of worship on the Bible itself while removing a number of Catholic ceremonial elements. It also gave the services in English rather than Latin, thus appealing directly to the people, but the contents were general enough that they could be open to both Catholic and Protestant interpretations.
This was important, given the on-going conflicts between Catholics and Protestants in England at the time. For example, the order of the Latin Mass was retained and the question about transubstantiation was left ambiguous.
Henry's successor, Edward VI, insisted that worship in England be conducted according to this book and no other. Foreign reformers living in England pressured Cramner to revise the book to make it even more clearly Protestant in nature - and they were successful. Cramner revised the Book of Common Prayer and created the Prayer Book of 1552, making it more Protestant and less open to Catholic interpretation.
In this revised version the matter of transubstantiation was more directly addressed and it was made clear that the bread and wine did not literally become the body and blood of Christ; instead, they were simply representations. The Catholic doctrine of salvation being influenced through good works was replaced by a Calvinist idea of predestination, and the amount of ceremonies was further reduced.
At times suppressed under Catholic monarchs and revised regularly, it has exerted a great deal of influence on the English language, serving as a model of style and rhythm for writers through several centuries. About two-thirds of the contents today come directly from the Bible. The Book of Common Prayer contains the communion service, the daily offices (morning and evening prayer), the electionary, Psalms, and services for special occasions and rites of passage like ordination, marriage and funerals.
Also Known As: BCP
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
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