The ’09 “BCP”: The New American Missal?

As has been noted hither and yon, Lancelot Andrewes Press is coming out with a new book called The Book of Common Prayer. While it is not an officially authorized book of any jurisdiction, it’s safe to say that its intended audience is Western Rite Antiochene Orthodox and American Anglo-Catholics of whatever hierarchical loyalty.

Note, for instance, that it includes the Litany with the 1544 invocations of the BVM and other saints as well as the Proposed ’28’s prayers for the Dead.

Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament begins on p. 63; the Asperges on 485…

There’s only one serious question that I have about it—what Canon does it use? While the documentation mentions some additions, it doesn’t say to what they have been added. The 1662 Canon has some nototrious issues from a catholic perspective. I mean, there’s a reason why most Anglo-Catholic churches in England now use the Novus Ordo as opposed to the prayer book and in earlier days inserted the Roman Canon around the authorized one.

Well, we shall see. And yes, I do indeed plan on picking one up as time and funds allow.

6 thoughts on “The ’09 “BCP”: The New American Missal?

  1. Christopher

    I might add the ’28’s prayers for the dead were largely modeled on 1549. 1549 has always had a wonder of ambiguity about it both catholic and reformed that allowed enthusiasm by a Baxter as wells as an Andrewes. We–that is the U.S. Church have inherited this, and that sets us off from the English Church. Thanks be to that part of us rooted from the Scots.

  2. Brian M

    Derek, I know that the epiclesis in the canon of the Liturgy of St. Tikhon has been augmented, but you may wish to reach out to Benjamin Andersen for further clarification.

  3. BJA

    Thanks, Derek, for the post! We hope that the BCP is well received.

    The Canon is that of the Antiochian Liturgy of St Tikhon. This is because, first and foremost, the people who put it together are AWRV, and there is a serious need for a good service book for parishes using the AWRV form of the Anglican Rite.

    Other historic eucharistic prayers of the Ecclesia Anglicana, however, are included in an appendix – Roman Canon (Latin and Coverdale translation), 1549, 1928 American, 1929 Scottish, 1954 South African, and 1962 Canadian.

    Other elements that may not be attractive to non-Orthodox: (1) omission of the ‘Filioque’ from the Nicene Creed; (2) bracketing of the Double Procession clause in the Athanasian Creed (with an footnote explaining that it’s in the original Latin text, but not found in Orthodox Greek and Slavonic translations); (3) the joining of Confirmation (by a priest) and First Holy Communion with Baptism; and (4) the inclusion of a rite for the Reception of Converts into the Orthodox Faith, an occidentalized version of the one found in the Hapgood Service Book.

    Lancelot Andrewes Press would be very happy to work with an Anglican jurisdiction (such as the ACC) to produce a version of the new BCP reflecting their usages and needs.

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