Outline:
Key Question:
- Reference in some Anglo-Catholic Circles to "the Elizabethan Tradition"
- Does the Elizabethan Prayer Book (1559 BCP) reflect an Anglo-Catholic Understanding in the Eucharist?
- Issues with the Medieval Church leads to Reformation
- Eucharist starts to become just a performance
- People limited in involvement
- Henry VIII wants to have a male heir
- Previously made "Defender of the Faith" by Pope for treatise against Luther
- Claims God angry since married his brother's widow
- Pope not willing to allow divorce for political reasons
- Thomas Cranmer willing to allow, appointed at Archbishop of Canterbury
- Thomas Cranmer
- Influenced by Reformers in the Continent
- Under Edward VI leads creation of 2 Books of Common Prayer
Cranmer's Prayer Books:
- 1549 BCP
- Before this book, had service that was part English, part Latin
- All in English now
- Comparison with 1552 BCP available by clicking here
- Would have still been somewhat similar to older Eucharist
- Also trying to de-emphasize anything going on physically in the Eucharist
- Cranmer was a Receptionist, not a believer in Transubstantiation
- Eucharist was meant to be more participatory
- Some complaints about
- Similar to today:
- Issues with difference
- Issue with length
- More focus on Scripture
- Book of Homilies
- Only licensed clergy could write their own sermons
- Cranmer was trying to teach key Protestant theology to the people
- Communion was given to people
- Focus on receiving in a worthy manner
- Mentions Paul, ref. 1 Cor. 11: 27-32
- 1552 BCP
- Greater changes this time around
- The note in the title "commonly called the Masse" is removed
- Title just "The Order for the Administration of the Lordes Supper, or Holye Communion"
- Mass means "to send", refers to the final words of the service
- Bishop Gardiner made many arguments for transubstantiation with 1549 BCP
- Cranmer wasn't having it
- Often described as a "cut and paste" of 1549
- Lots of previous elements gone
- ex. Kyrie is now replaced with 10 Commandments
- Eucharistic Prayer de-emphasizes that anything is going on
- Ends abruptly with the Christ's words of institution
- Supplication goes from part of Eucharistic Prayer to option for Post-Communion
- "To take away superstition", rubric allows communion bread to be taken away and used by the curate. The bread is to be such as "is usually eaten at the Table with other meats".
- "Black Rubric" added late in printing
- not in all BCPs
- Rubrics normally in red
- Says bowing isn't a sign that transubstantiation is happening
- Instead, bow as a sign of respect to Jesus
- Would there have been another BCP if Cranmer survived Bloody Mary?
- Scholars think likely
- Likely would have been even more different and more Protestant
Elizabeth I:
- Elizabeth's sister, Bloody Mary, brought Roman Catholicism back to England
- Martyred a lot of reformers, including Cranmer
- Elizabeth ascends to power after
- Owes her power to Reformation
- Some think her private practice would have been more Catholic like her Father
- Doesn't matter, her power comes from Protestant loyalists
- Her mother would never have married Henry VIII without a Protestant
- Thus, she wouldn't have been legitimate for the throne
- Lays out "new" BCP in 1559
- Mostly same as 1552
- Black Rubric removed
- Words for administering Communion were combined from 1549 and 1552
- Important to note:
- Tensions with Puritans
- Continued to push for more reforms throughout Church of England history
- That 1552 BCP remained mostly intact in 1559 BCP suggests a win for them
- Didn't go completely Puritan
- Removal of the Black Rubric a win for Catholic-leaners
- Might have been better for Catholics if went back to 1549 BCP...
- Could argue for Via Media here
- Means "middle way"
- Refers to Catholic/Protestant divide
- At the same time, 1552 BCP seen in 1559 BCP
- "Middle way" still leaning heavily Protestant
- Came during the Restoration of the Monarch after Cromwell
- Big debate on direction of worship
- Result is that not much changed for Eucharist
- Black Rubric was added back in
- Rubrics were also added for what to do during the Eucharistic Prayer
- ex. Breaking of the Bread happens during Institution Narrative
- Still the official BCP of Church of England
- Takes an act of Parliament to change
- attempts have been unsuccessful
- Alternate liturgies often used instead
- Current is Common Worship
- Utilizes multiple books
- Formed and approved by General Synod
- Self-governing body of Church of England
American Prayer Book Tradition:
- 1637 Scottish attempt at BCP
- Closer in form to 1549 BCP
- Includes epiclesis- calling on the Holy Spirit over the gifts of bread and wine
- Was later in the prayer than in 1549 BCP
- Attempt failed in huge protest
- Church of Scotland rejected bishops (episcopacy)
- Episcopal Church in Scotland later grew
- Adopted version of 1637 as their BCP
- Revolutionary War
- Church of England no longer church in America
- Need bishops (previously under Bishop of London)
- Samuel Seabury is the first bishop of PECUSA (The Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States of America)
- England won't ordain without oath to the King
- obviously can't do post-Revolution
- Scottish Episcopal Church agrees to, if we adopted their Eucharistic Prayer
- 1979 BCP Rite I Prayer I
- What we adopted from Scotland
- Consistent Prayer throughout American BCP history
- Note: similar to 1549 with epiclesis
- Cranmer wouldn't have approved
- Makes it different from 1559 BCP
Meaning of “Common” in Book of Common Prayer:
- Worship has always been meant to be held in Common throughout Churches
- Anglican Tradition back to Reformation in Church of England
- Why from the 1st it has been called The Book of Common Prayer
- Other Anglican Churches throughout the world have their own Prayer Books
- At times, other liturgical/worship resources have been used
Is the “Elizabethan Tradition” Anglo-Catholic?:
- Anglo-Catholicism tends to have a high Eucharistic theology
- Means at least adopting "Real Presence" as view
- Don't see that in the Elizabethan BCP of 1559
- While Anglo-Catholic thought remained in England, it wasn't the driving force for the BCP
- Except, one could argue, in keeping it from going full Puritan
- Our Eucharistic Prayer is based on Scottish Rite
- Comes from Cranmer, but based on earlier version- 1549 BCP
- Adds epiclesis, suggests something is going on in Eucharist
- Does in a way that allows for Receptionism or Real Presence
- "Elizabethan Tradition" is an appealing term
- Recalls the time and language of Shakespeare
- While Anglo-Catholics existed, not dominant force behind BCP
- Words still incorporate 1552 BCP, a purely Protestant Text
- Tradition of Cranmer
- “Elizabethan Tradition” could really be considered this
- Implies a more Protestant view
- Means the people can understand and be enriched by worship
- Sacraments de-emphasized
- Cranmer’s focus more on Scripture
- Anglo-Catholic stance
- Need to recognize Tradition of Cranmer doesn’t directly lead here
- Gives freedom to look at other Eucharistic Prayers or revise old ones
- What we see currently with Common Worship in England
- Also see in some of the Eucharistic Prayers in 1979 BCP
- Majority of Prayers are in more Eastern forms
- Middle Way
- Can accept authority of Scripture with a Sacramental focus
- Tension held in diversity of prayer options of 1979 BCP
- Either choice is fine
- Have to know what you ultimately want
- Want to have words emphasizing that meaning
- Note: Anglican Tradition- always accepted Prayer Book held in Common
- Means there can be multiple options in that worship
- Also can have other officially sanctioned liturgical and worship resources
- Ultimate call is to spread the Gospel
- Can still do with a sacramental focus
- Can have a sacramental focus that is still grounded in Scripture