GENERAL
Books of Common Prayer
Chad Wohlers's comprehensive and superb site, with extensive links to other prayer books used within the Anglican Communion. The
gold standard online resource for versions of the BCP that are not copyrighted.
Everyman's
History of the Prayer Book, by Percy Dearmer.
This classic is now online, well formatted, and worth your time. Note the Family
Tree of the Prayer Book.
National
Public Radio (USA) on the Book of Common Prayer
Scott Simon offers a brief tribute to the BCP, tying it in to the American Thanksgiving holiday. (RealAudio, about three minutes long.)
A
New History of the Book of Common Prayer
Charles Wohlers has digitized and annotated a 1910 edition of this classic historical commentary of the Book of Common Prayer by Francis
Procter and Walter Howard Frere.
1549
Book of Common Prayer on
Chad Wohlers's site (see above).
1559
1559 Book of Common Prayer
The full text of the 1559 Book of Common Prayer.
Closely related to the 1559
A comprehensive site on the remarkable and much-loved English poet, George Herbert. It includes an imaginative
presentation of the 1559 Communion service, with links to Herbert poems at appropriate places. (Beware of the music.)
1662
1662 Book of Common Prayer
This site has the full text of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer along with a few supplemental links.
The
1662 BCP as engraved by Charles Sturt in 1717
'There is no actual printing of text —the entire book, including the text, was engraved by hand on 188
silver plates, which allowed extreme detail to be recorded. The entire project took three years to complete and was financed by the sale
of advance subscriptions.' This masterpiece is well worth the time to download and examine; the pictorial engravings are lovely.
1928 (US)
1928 Book of Common Prayer (US)
This site contains Morning and Evening Prayer offices with links to the King James Version and the 1928 prayer book Psalter for both
speed and ease of use. Abbreviated Daily Offices are also posted and linked, together with the Ordinal, Catechism, and so on.
www.commonprayer.org
'This Internet Edition of the Daily Offices includes versions of the Order for Morning and Evening Prayer which incorporate the Psalms,
Scripture Lessons and Collect for the day based on the [US] 1928 Book of Common Prayer (1943 Lectionary) and the Authorized (King
James) Bible into the text. The Occasional Offices from the [US] 1928 BCP commonly used with Morning and Evening Prayer, and privately,
are included in their entirety, along with all of the various sections of the BCP useful as prayer supplements.'
1938 (Ceylon)
The Ceylon Liturgy. 'This [English-language] liturgy was originally developed in 1933, revised in 1935, and finally authorized for
general use in 1938. It is based both on the Church of England's abortive 1928 Liturgy, and on Eastern forms' for use in what is now
Sri Lanka.
1960 (Ghana)
The 1960 Book of Common Prayer of the Anglican Church of Ghana. This BCP, available on Charles Wohlers' website, is a revision of
the 1662 Prayer Book with slight modifications to reflect Ghanaian independence and local Anglo-Catholic practice.
1964 (Africa)
A Liturgy for Africa.
'The 1958 Lambeth Conference set out principles for liturgical changes for the Anglican Communion; this Liturgy for Africa was the first result of these new developments.'
1966 (Wales)
The Proposed Revised Service for Experimental Use. This publication of the Church in Wales is available online in Welsh and in English. A successor to this Liturgy was proposed in 1977 but failed to gain approval. A complete Book of Common Prayer for the Church in Wales was published in 1984.
1966 (US)
The New Liturgy 'published at the beginning of the process of revision that resulted in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church USA. While this liturgy retains traditional language, it incorporates a number of significant changes that distinguish it from its 1928 predecessor.'
1966 (New Zealand)
The Liturgy or Eucharist of the Church of the Province of New Zealand. This liturgy marks the first movement in revisions leading to the 1989 New Zealand Prayer Book.
1969 (Canada)
The
Qu'Appelle Liturgy. This 'early part of the process of liturgical revision that culminated in the 1985 Book of Alternative Services
was published during the tenure of the seventh Bishop of Qu'Appelle, George Clarence Fredrick Jackson (1907-1990, diocesan bishop 1960-1977).'
1970 (Papua New Guinea)
The Niugini Liturgy (1970). 'This diocesan eucharistic liturgy
was published seven years before the formal inauguration of the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea. Many local languages in this province
have been used for Anglican liturgical translations, but English serves as a lingua franca. This is the first liturgy prepared for Papua
New Guinea that departs from the traditional BCP order in several respects, anticipating changes adopted by some parts of the Anglican
Communion later in the decade. The Niugini Liturgy was prepared and published by the Right Reverend David Hand (1918-2006), whose ministry
in New Guinea spanned from 1946 to 2006.'
1976 (Papua New Guinea)
Occasional
Offices, Church of the Province of Papua New Guinea (1976). This group of liturgies is a predecessor to the current official prayer
book of the Church of the Province of Papua New Guinea, which was published in 1991 under the title Anglican Prayer Book.
1979 (US)
The (Online) Book of Common Prayer (US)
This is the official 1979 Book of Common Prayer including The Psalter or Psalms of David. Available
as html.
Book of Common Prayer, Version
1979
'This version of the Book of Common Prayer is based on the 1979 Prayer Book, and hopes to provide you with more than just an electronic
reproduction of the BCP. Wherever possible, the pages are dynamic
— pulling Bible Passages from a database for insertion into the Daily Offices
— and interwoven — linking various liturgies to proper prayers, anthems, and other pages or passages.' Provided by the International
Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church.
Other Languages
Ainu: The
1662 Book of Common Prayer in Ainu
Charles Wohlers has posted much of the Book of Common Prayer in Ainu, an extremely
endangered language spoken in northern Japan.
Arosi: Translation
of Portions of the Book of Common Prayer in the Bauro [sic Arosi] language
attributed to John Coleridge Patteson. Arosi is spoken on Makira (San
Cristobal) in the southeastern Solomon Islands.
Binandere: Doregari
Kotopu (1916)
This translation of the Holy Communion service from the 1662 BCP into Binandere is
the work of Copland King (1868-1918) a botanist, zoologist, and linguist whose missionary life and significant translation activity are
chronicled in Gilbert White's A Pioneer of Papua.
Cheyenne: Portions
of the Book of Common Prayer in Cheyenne (1900)
The 1892 BCP of the US Episcopal Church was translated into many Native American languages, among them Cheyenne,
now spoken in Montana and Oklahoma. This translation is especially noteworthy for its association with David
Pendleton Oakerhater, commemorated on the calendar of the US Episcopal Church on 1 September.
Cree: The 1662 BCP in Cree
'Translated by Bishop John Horden (1828–1893) into the Cree dialect of the area around Moosonee, Ontario (Canada), this edition
was first printed in 1889, and is now available as a image files on-line.'
Dakota: Niobrara
Wocekiye Wowapi
Tthe [US] 1928 Book of Common Prayer in Dakota. 'Missionaries from the Episcopal Church [USA] were quite active among the Dakota, with
the result that many today are practicing Episcopalians. Approximately half the Epicopalians in South Dakota today are Native American.'
Dutch: Het
Boek van het Algemeen Gebet
Portions of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer are now available online in Dutch. This edition was first published in 1853 for use in what
is now South Africa.
French: The
1962 Canadian Book of Common Prayer in French
Gitxsan: A
Selection of Prayers translated from the Book of Common Prayer in the Giatikshan Language (1881)
'Gitxsan is a language spoken in northwestern British Columbia in the upper
basin of the Skeena River, in the Diocese of Caledonia. Estimates of the number of speakers
vary from about 400 to 1000; around 13,000 people are part of the Gitxsan nation.'
Haida: Portions
of the Book of Common Prayer in Haida
This translation of parts of the 1662 BCP, believed to be the only Anglican liturgical translation into Haida, was prepared by John Henry
Keen (1852-1950). Haida is an endangered North American language spoken on
the Queen Charlotte Islands and in the Prince
of Wales Archipelago.
Hawaiian: 1979
Book of Common Prayer (US, portions) in Hawaiian
Hebrew: The
1662 Book of Common Prayer in Hebrew
Presented as a single 28MB PDF file for download.
Igbo: Ekpere
Anekpere Chineke N'Obo N'Okwu Ibo
Portions of the BCP in Igbo, a major language of Nigeria, are available online
in html.
Inuktitut: Portions
of the Book of Common Prayer together with Hymns and Addresses in Eskimo (1900)
This early translation into Inuktitut was prepared by the experienced missionary-linguist E.J.
Peck (1850-1924).
Isekiri: Iwe
Ise ti Egwari Sekiri (1909).
Portions of the BCP are now available online in Isekiri, spoken by about 500,000
people in the Niger Delta.
Japanese: Nippon
Sei Ko Kai 1959 Book of Common Prayer
Charles Wohlers has digitized a transliterated version of this liturgy, along with an English translation.
Kwak'wala: Portions of the Book of Common Prayer: Kwagutl (1900)
AO Editor Richard Mammana has digitized this translation of parts of the 1662 BCP into Kwak'wala, an endangered Canadian First Nations language spoken in British Columbia. You know all about Kwak'wala if you have read Margaret Craven's fine novel I Heard the Owl Call My Name.
Lavukaleve: Tarai
Olegis
Anglican Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, Eucharistic prayers, Catechism and Hymns in the Lavukaleve
language, Russell Islands, Melanesia.
Lengua: Nimpasmo
Iktakmila
The Holy Communion from the 1662 BCP is now available online in Lengua,
an indigenous language used in Paraguay.
Luganda: Service
Book in Luganda (1900)
Luganda is a major language of Uganda, spoken by about three million people.
Manx Gaelic: Padjer
Fastyr
This page directs you to online liturgical resources in Manx Gaelic, particularly new transcriptions of annual Manx Evening Prayer services
in 1924, 1930 and 1951.
Maori: Te
Pukapuka o nga Inoi
Online in html, excepting the Psalter; transcribed by AO Editor Richard Mammana.
Mer: Opolera
Wetpur
c. 1957 translation of the Holy Communion service into Mer. 'This language,
also known as Meriam Mir, or Mer, is used primarily on Murray Island ("Mer" in
the local language), the most easterly of the isalnds in the Torres Strait between Australia and Papua New Guinea.'
Mohawk: The
Book of Common Prayer in Mohawk
AO Editor Richard Mammana has transcribed an 1875 version of the American 1789 BCP translated into Mohawk. It is now available on Charles
Wohler's magisterial BCP site. The translation is by Eleazar Williams, an American clergyman (1787-1858) who claimed to be the Lost
Dauphin—the son of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
Mota: O
Book Tataro (1947)
Portions of the Book of Common Prayer are now available online in Mota, the
former offical mission language of Anglican missionaries in Melanesia. Mota is spoken today by about 1500 people on Mota
island itself, and in diaspora communities in Vanuatu.
Nlaka'pamux or Thompson: Portions of the Book of Common Prayer in Nlaka'pamux or Thompson
These translations of services from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer were prepared by English SPG missionary John Booth Good (1833-1916) between 1878 and 1880. Linguists refer to this highly endangered south-central British Columbian language as Thompson or Nlaka'pamux. It is classified as an Interior Salish language; there are believed to be fewer than 600 speakers of Thompson / Nlaka'pamux today.
Nisga'a: The
Nishga Liturgy (1977)
Nisga'a (formerly spelled Nishga) is an indigenous Canadian language spoken by about 700 people in northwestern British Columbia in the Diocese
of Caledonia. 'Noteworthy aspects of this liturgy are its incorporation of prayers for the tribal council, the invitation of prayer
by tribal elders, the inclusion of the bishop under his indigenous name rather than his western name in the intercessions, and the dismissal
blessing.'
Norwegian: Missions-Bog
for Den protestantisk-episkopale kirke
Erik Leopold Petersen (1844-1887) prepared this translation of portions of the BCP into Norwegian. It was published in Chicago in 1875
for use in Norwegian-speaking congregations of the Diocese of Minnesota.
Ottawa: The
Morning and Evening Prayer, Translated from the Book of Common Prayer of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of
America
This liturgy published in 1844 for Ottawa members of the Diocese of Michigan is the only known liturgical translation into the Ottawa
language, spoken by indigenous North Americans in Oklahoma, Michigan and Ontario. AO Editor Richard Mammana transcribed this text.
Pileni: Atalatala
Tautaufaa ke Tautaufaai i Thauna e Tapu (1918)
Portions of the Book of Common Prayer are now available online in Pileni,
a language spoken in the Diocese of Temotu in the Church of the Province of Melanesia. Part of the significance of this language derives
from its use on Nukapu, the island where John Coleridge Patteson was
martyred in 1871.
Portuguese: Livro
da Oraçaõ Comum
The 1950 Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church of Brazil. Charles Wohlers has posted the beginnings of a transcription of this
Portuguese-language translation of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer of the US Episcopal Church.
Savosavo: Tabu
Samu Koluzagu Lova Abeni Lo Savo La Sua Vere La Archbishop Lova Malanala Telo Tei Ata Melanesia Lo Province La
This liturgy, published in 1978, is used by members of the Church of the Province of Melanesia on Savo Island. It is written in Savosavo,
a threatened language spoken by just over 2000 people.
Selako: Portions
of the Book of Common Prayer in Selako
Selako is a language spoken by over 100,000 people in the far west of the island of Borneo, mostly in Indonesia, but also in Malaysia.
The bishop named in the intercessory prayers is Basil Colby Roberts (1887-1947, Bishop of Singapore 1927-1941), so this allows the possibility
of dating its publication during his tenure.
Sioux: Ikce
Wocekiye Wowapi Kin Qa Minahanska Makoce Kin En Token Wokduze (1870).
AO editor Richard Mammana has transcribed a translation of portions of the Book of Common Prayer in the Yankton dialect of the Sioux
language, also called Dakota. Sioux is spoken by c. 26,000 people in Canada and the United States, and the BCP has been translated
into several of its dialects at regular intervals.
Spanish: Libro
de Oración Común
The 1979 US BCP in Spanish, is available in Adobe Acrobat format from
the Episcopal Church Center. Also available are Lesser Feasts
and Fasts and the Book of Occasional Services in
Spanish.
Spanish: Libro
de Oración Común de Chile
The Anglican Church of Chile has made its Book of Common Prayer available online in MS Word files for download.
Swahili: Hiki ndicho Chuo cha Sala ya Umoja
Chad Wohlers has digitized much of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer in Swahili. This translation into one of the most widely spoken languages in East Africa was by prepared by CMS missionaries in the Mombasa Diocese and published in 1943.
Tikopia: Te
Rotu Te Kau Kava Tapu
The Holy Communion as celebrated in the Tikopia language is now available
online; this language is spoken by more than 3000 people in the Diocese of Temotu in the Church
of the Province of Melanesia.
Tongan: Koe
Tohi ‘oe Gahi mo Efiafi
The Book of Common Prayer is now available online in a 1912 Tongan translation transcribed by an AO editor.
Tsimshian: A Zimshian Version of Portions of the Book of Common Prayer (1882)
Tsimshian (spelled Zimshian in the text presented here) is a language spoken today by about 800 people in British Columbia, and in southeastern Alaska. It is closely related to Nisga'a and Gitxsan.
Ukrainian: Sobornii
molitovnik i podavannia sviatikh tain ta ynshi obriadi ta zvichai scho vzhivaiut'sia v anglikans'kii tserkvi v kanadiis'kii dominii (1926).
This link will take you to a remarkable Ukrainian-language translation of the 1918 Canadian Book of Common Prayer.
Welsh: The Book of Common Prayer
in Welsh
The 1662 Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England was used as the Prayer Book in Wales up until 1966, when trial liturgies
were introduced, followed by a Prayer Book specific to the Church in Wales in 1984. Revision is still ongoing, and a new Communion service
was authorized in 2004, in English and in Welsh. Additionally, the Church in Wales has the 2004 Ordinal online, both in English and in
Welsh.
West Ambae: Portions
of the Book of Common Prayer in West Ambae
This language is spoken in the Diocese of Vanuatu on Aoba island.
The
Book of Common Prayer among the Nations of the World
by William Muss-Arnolt (1913). An encyclopedic work on translations of the BCP. This digital edition of a very important work includes
extensive hyperlinking to online versions of the translations and background documents. |
