The official liturgy of the Episcopal Church (BCP); a collection of prayers, readings, Psalms, devotions, and services used by the Episcopal Church; the worship book used by Episcopalians. Nearly all services in any Episcopal Church will be printed in this book.
the Anglican service book of the Church of England; has had several revisions since the Reformation and is widely admired for the dignity and beauty of its language
The primary guide for worship in the Episcopal Church. The first Anglican Book of Common Prayer was written in English in 1549 by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer. This first Book of Common Prayer was drawn from a number of Latin books and manuals used to conduct services at that time.
The book containing the forms of the common (i.e., public) prayers of the church, including the normal church services and the forms for administering the sacraments. The first Book of Common Prayer was published in 1549; the latest American edition is that of 1928 and the latest Canadian edition is that of 1962.
Originally published by the Church of England in 1549 under the direction of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, it is the collection of liturgies authorized for use in the Anglican/Episcopal Church. In the Episcopal tradition, we employ "liturgical prayer" instead of making up our own, as a sign of the truth that worship is common to the people and belongs not to an individual, but to the entire faith community.
This is one of the major works of English literature. Since its introduction in the sixteenth century, it has had an enormous influence on everything written in English. It has gone through a number of revisions, both in England and in the other countries of the Anglican Communion, but the original text is still comprehensible and relevant. The current version used in the Episcopal Church was published in 1979. The Book of Common Prayer is online.
A collection of prayers, readings, Psalms, devotions and services used by the Episcopal Church. JUMP TO: 1-2-3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Canon The title of a priest who serves on the staff of a cathedral, except that the head staff priest is called the dean. Addressed as The Rev. Canon (Name). Also an ecclesiastical rule or law adopted by General Convention or by Diocesan Convention. See "General Convention."
(BCP) The Book of Common Prayer contains the official Liturgy of the Episcopal Church. It is a collection of prayers, readings, psalms, devotions, and worship services. Nearly all services in any Episcopal Church will be printed in this book. The word "common" is used in the sense of being held in common, the property of all. Thus, there are copies in every Episcopal pew for use by all worshippers. The common use of the BCP is the basis for the high degree of congregational participation typical of Anglican worship.
official (parliament-approved) prayer book of the church of England, containing the prayers for all services, the forms for administration of the sacraments, and a manual for the ordination of deacons, priests, bishops (p. 476)
The Book of Common PrayerThe full name of the English Book of Common Prayer is The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church according to the use of the Church of England together with the Psalter or Psalms of David pointed as they are to be sung or said in churches and the form and manner of making, ordaining, and consecrating of bishops, priests, and deacons. is the foundational prayer book of the Church of England (and hence Anglicanism). It was one of the instruments of the Protestant Reformation in England, and was also adapted and revised for use in other churches in the Anglican Communion. It replaced the various Latin rites that had been used in different parts of the country with a single compact volume in English so that "now from henceforth all the Realm shall have but one use".