Opening the Prayer Book (New Church's Teaching Series, V. 7)

Rating:
Summary: An apologist for prayer book reform
Review: Mr. Lee never bothers to explain why the Cramner version is so but simply assumes readers should agree with him. (I don't necessarily disagree with Prayer Book reform efforts, but don't find a compelling rationale here.) Our church book group was very disappointed in this book. It did not live up to the title.

Rating:
Summary: A celebration of ordered freedom
Review: Much of this book seems to be a set-up for the last chapter in which Lee predicts that the 1979 Book of Common Prayer will most likely be the LAST revision of this classic of the Anglican worship tradition. He assures us that the influence of the BCP will continue to mold that tradition, but that the tradition will continue to expand, embracing multicultural influences, new views on sexuality, and the evolving dominance of nonprint media. Lee refutes charges that Epicopalians' reliance on their Book limits their expression of faith and spends several chapters helpfully explicating its various liturgies. Along the way, he provides a brief (too brief, by my accounting) history of how the BCP/1979 came to be, including discussion of the influence of the Scottish prayer books of 1637 and 1764, early efforts to reintroduce ancient forms of worship based on scholarly research on the liturgy. In the end, Lee eloquently affirms, "We ask the liturgy to bear an enormous weight of meaning. Good ritual that is capable of bearing such weight depends on a certain familiarity so that the forms, actions, and texts can become vehicles for the meaning they embody. If members of the assembly have to wonder what is going to happen THIS Sunday morning, it can lessen their ability to worship. If they have to worry about getting the words right...they may be less free to encounter the Mystery of Christ in those words" (p. 164).

This book is just one of thirteen titles in The New Church's Teaching Series, a series that sets out to explain key Episcopalian positions on the practices, beliefs, and role of the church. Intended primarily for Episcopalians, I think Lutherans and Catholics will relate to many of the opinions expressed in these books. I strongly recommend the ones on the Bible: Opening the Bible by Roger Ferlo and Engaging the Word by Michael Johnston.

Rating:
Summary: The heart of Anglicanism...
Review: The Episcopal church in the twentieth century took advantage of the general availability of publishing to good advantage, compiling through several auspices different collections and teaching series, the latest of which was only completed a few years ago. There have been 'unofficial' collections of teaching texts, such as the Anglican Studies Series by Morehouse press, put out in the 1980s, as well as an earlier teaching series. However, each generation approaches things anew; the New Church Teaching Series, published by Cowley Publications (a company operated as part of the ministry of the Society of St. John the Evangelist - SSJE - one of the religious/monastic communities in the Episcopal church, based in the Boston area) is the most recent series, and in its thirteen volumes, explores in depth and breadth the theology, history, liturgy, ethics, mission and more of the modern Anglican vision in America.

This seventh volume, 'Opening the Prayer Book' by Jeffrey Lee, looks at the Book of Common Prayer, perhaps the central defining thing in Anglicanism. Lee's primary focus here is the 1979 American Book of Common Prayer (which makes sense, given that this is a church teaching series for a church that uses this as the primary text); however, no edition or variation of the Book of Common Prayer exists in a vacuum, either historically or geographically/culturally.

Lee explores general issues of liturgy and common worship/prayer life in the context of the Anglican usage of the BCP. Particularly with the 1979 American version (and some other recent variations, such as the New Zealand and Australian Prayer Books), there is a great deal of flexibility built into the document that at the same time strives toward consistency and identity.

Lee looks briefly at the history of the development of the Book of Common Prayer, from its English origins in the sixteenth century to the more recent versions in America, acknowledging the issues that led to a Scottish influence in the construction of the American Prayer Book. After this historical survey, Lee looks at particular pieces of the liturgy in the BCP, including the primary services around the sacrament of baptism and Easter celebrations, the highest of holy days, and the various other liturgies present for both regular and occasional use. Putting this liturgy into action for the entire congregation (worship shouldn't be something that a clergy caste 'does' for the people as they sit in pews and watch) is a primary concern for Lee.

Lee's final chapter gives some speculations into the future of liturgical development and prayer book reform. Each generation or two makes the prayer book anew for its worship; this always creates tension between those who want to remain with the established ways, those who want radical change, and those who aren't satisfied with the eventual settlement. Even as he argues for continuity with much of Anglican tradition, Lee looks forward to a time when there will be no standard, pew-edition of the BCP in every church as the tie that binds; speculating on the suggestion of his professor Louis Weil (who wrote another volume of this teaching series), the current Books of Common Prayer may well be the last in the line of Cranmer's tradition.

Jeffrey Lee is a priest who has served parishes using the Book of Common Prayer throughout the Midwestern United States. He is a speaker and writer in issues of worship and liturgy, and participates in national and international conferences and associations regarding diaconal renewal.

Each of the texts is relatively short (only two of the volumes exceed 200 pages), the print and text of each easy to read, designed not for scholars but for the regular church-goer, but not condescending either - the authors operate on the assumption that the readers are genuinely interested in deepening their faith and practice. Each volume concludes with questions for use in discussion group settings, and with annotated lists of further readings recommended.