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E.C. Dempsey's avatar

I have been reading Fr Martin Thornton’s work lately and I appreciate the good historical work you have done to help contextualize his positions on the Prayer Book “Regula.” What prayer book do you most frequently use?

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John Dumancic's avatar

I have mixed feelings about the venerable Prayer-Book, even though I hold great respect for it. I simply feel it eliminated too much — the Offices, which everywhere else were services offering praise to God, evening and morning, were converted into a vehicle principally designed for the reading of Scripture (without, unlike in the old ritual, interpretation from various Fathers). I've prayed both the 1662 ritual and the Benedictine Office in Anglo-Catholic translation, and the difference is stark; it's not so much a condensation or reformation as an entirely new liturgy with motifs from the old. (For the lay-person, this might not be too poor of an idea — Matins in the old ritual is truly titanic on Sundays!). On the other hand, it really does allow for one to interact with a large amount of Scripture and a reasonable number of Psalms daily... I just wish that it maintained more of the older ethos.

The Eucharistic service also concerns me, because it really does seem to imply a receptionist view. I understand many Anglo-Catholics have been creative in their understanding thereof (cf. Tract 95), but I still feel uncomfortable with the structure of the 1662; I think Dom Dix was right when he notes that this liturgy is the only one that truly embodies the doctrine of justification by faith alone.

I think the Prayer-Book is beautiful (I exclusively pray the Coverdale Psalter); it is just too Reformed for me! I've looked at the earlier revisions, and I'm certainly more amenable to the pre-Edwardian edition, but nevertheless.

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