Discover how the English Communion Office evolved and why it matters in worship today.
This concise scholarly study examines the 1549 prayer and its relation to earlier liturgies, offering a clear look at how benediction, thanks, and remembrance shape the Eucharist. With thoughtful analysis, it traces the arguments behind memorial prayer, the place of self-offering, and the balance between tradition and reform.
Drawing on a wide range of sources, the book compares the English rite with Eastern and Western liturgies, and situates the 1549 reforms within a long history of devotional practice. It explains how terms like “blessing” and “thanks” were understood, and what those choices mean for the worshipper today. Readers will see how the work interprets scripture narratives of the Institution and the implications for communion theology.
- Understand how the Communion Office uses blessing and Thanksgiving over the bread and cup.
- Explore the idea of oblation, memorial, and the role of personal preparation in worship.
- See how the 1549 edition compares with Eastern and Western liturgies and with earlier church writers.
- Learn how historical scholarship analyzes liturgical texts and their theological implications.
Ideal for readers of church history, liturgy, and Anglican studies, as well as clergy and lay readers seeking a clear guide to the development of the English communion rite.