The Book of Common Prayer: A Biography (Lives of Great Religious Books, 18) Hardcover – September 29, 2013

I grew up low church baptist and have only come to see the value of the Book of Common Prayer fairly recently. So this was a great book to bring some history to my understanding.Alan Jacobs is an excellent writer and his history of the book is both of solid history and readable.To me, what is most interesting about story of the BCP, is how it was intended as a tool of unity but from the very beginning that was thwarted. Cranmer, who compiled the BCP thought that a single prayer book with a single service was important both theologically and politically to the unity of the Church in England. This was not a simple expedient or politically motivated conscription of Christianity but a different world view on how church and state should relate.But from the beginning the minutia of the BCP and its practice were used to factionalize the church. As one very small example, John Knox insisted that communion should be taken while sitting (instead of kneeling) because he wanted to distance the church from the Catholic view of transubstantiation. Others wanted kneeling to show honor and devotion during the Eucharist.But as theological and cultural movements between high and low church Anglicans and Anglo-Catholics and Evangelicals and other groups, the prayer book became like the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Unchanging not so much because it was perfect, but unchanging because no one can agree on how to change it. And now it is venerated in part because it was unchanged.Outside the UK, most other Anglican churches have adapted their own Books of Common Prayer (and most have updated theirs several times), but in in the UK it is still the 1662 version that is the authorized one. So now there are a number of options for the Anglican world to choose their Books of Common Prayer.This is a fascinating and important history. The Book of Common Prayer has molded English speaking Christianity in ways that most probably do not realize. The common marriage ceremony "Dearly Beloved" and funeral "Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust" are part of the cultural language of the English speaking world, but also from the Book of Common Prayer.I read the kindle version, but I have heard a number of comments about the beauty of the actual printed book.

I feel like I should write three reviews for this work.The first half of the book (four chapters) was delightful. Learned, witty, informative, all the things that I have come to expect from the author. It was one of the best narrative descriptions of the circumstances and details of the creation of the Book of Common Prayer that I have ever read (and I have read several). I would give this part of the book four stars at least.But the rest of the book seemed like it was written by a different author. Less informative, more controversialist (in that the conflict seemed to drive the narrative rather than the Prayer Book itself). This is to be expected to a certain extent, but the author's bias in his analysis seemed apparent (e.g., people who liked the Prayer Book were labeled throughout this portion as "traditionalists" while no such moniker was affixed to those who sought to modernize or deconstruct the Prayer Book). It also seemed like that there was a bit of snark and mockery in the text of this part of the book that diminished the integrity of the analysis, in my opinion. Two stars, at best. The author lost the bubble.I listened to this book on a compact disc, and I cannot really recommend it. The narrator used a particularly affected and "posh" British accent to read portions of the Prayer Book or other "traditionalist" documents, and sometimes slipped in and out of this voice in mid-sentence. Interestingly, he did not use the voice (or did not use it quite as much) when reading other English commentators or critics of the Prayer Book. He particularly seemed to enjoy voicing the texts in the latter portion of the book that mocked traditional adherence to the Prayer Book. His reading voice, when not behaving as noted above, was quite pleasant and readily understandable; I am not sure why he chose to go so "over the top" with portions of his reading. Unfortunately, even when in his "normal" voice, he routinely mispronounced the word "episcopacy," placing the accent on the third rather than the second syllable. Sad. Two stars.Tepidly recommended with the reservations noted above. If you happen to be a pesky "traditionalist," don't expect the latter part of the book to present a reasoned argument in favor of common prayer, and you won't be disappointed.

As a new Anglican, I have spent most of my adult life in reformed Baptist, non-denominational and Presbyterian contexts. I find the history of the Anglican church and the development of common books of prayer very interesting, fascinating.I find that history, deep. Alan Jacobs gives the reader a thorough, readable history of how The Book of Common Prayer and modern revisions came about and shaped spirituality in the Anglican communion. The book does not bore me in any way.Because I am a history buff, I love relating all the historical events and people with what I already know and understand. To those Christians who read and study, puzzling things in history fall into place, like building a 1,000 piece puzzle.Incidentally, I personally find that the disciplines in the current Evangelical Anglican Church in the US nudge me to pray more consistently throughout my week. I actually feel less disconnected from Sunday each week, because of the influence of this book and the practice of morning prayer led by one or more ministers in my current church.Until something better is written, this is a must read for Anglicans and for others, believers or non believers.

This is a gem. The hardback is beautifully produced, but the Kindle has the usual advantage ages: search, hi lights, cut and paste.Beautifully written, thoroughly well researched. Brought the Prayer Book alive for me. I still think that in public liturgy outside of English cathedrals it needs to be used amongst consenting adults only, although this book reminds me that contemporary Anglican liturgies need to learn the gifts of simplicity and poetry (our new baptism liturgies are a nightmare of let's cram everything in here and ram it down people's throats).The BCP is a miracle of writing which has shaped the Englush language and the English psyche, and here it has found a worthy biographer.And those reviewers who have said, elsewhere, that he appears not to have much love for contemporary liturgies need to read the (often extended and fascinating) footnotes wherein he tells us that the one book he never leaves behind is the Common Worship Daily Prayer Book. Which I agree is the best of the whole of the Complex Worship endeavour.

This book came to my attention initially for the excellent production: rough-edged paper and high quality printing. I'm interested in the Book of Common Prayer primarily for the work Cranmer did but I am not an Anglican, so my understanding of the overall place of the book and particularly an understanding of it form an Anglican perspective was weak. Jacobs account certainly fixed that! I cam away with a much better impression of the development of the Book and a better understanding of how an Anglican would view it. Well worth reading.

Wonderful deep rich theology carefully examined. Great to know the roots of Anglicanism.

Having enjoyed Professor Jacobs book on original sin, I had very high hopes for this volume on a topic dear to my heart. They were not fulfilled. This book starts out quite well, but the underlying agenda is to promote the new liturgies that have largely displaced the Book of Common Prayer. The summing up is essentially against the BCP as a living liturgy and largely consigns it to the historic past. Many readers may disagree with this conclusion.

I respectfully disagree with the review by Old Anglican. I'm not sure how he/she could conclude that the author's 'underlying agenda is to promote the new liturgies that have largely displaced the Book of Common Prayer.' Jacobs' position is exactly the opposite. The back cover review from the Wall Street Journal gets it right: 'Mr. Jacobs has an obvious affinity for the prayer book, and doesn't seem to care much for recent attempts to 'modernize' worship.' Jacobs even mentions that his own son was baptized and confirmed according to the BCP rites (p. 202).This is a very well written 'biography' of the BCP. Much like his book on Original Sin, he offers a helpful tour of its use in various historical contexts.