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On the Search for the Authentic Liturgy of the Apostles: The Diversity of the Early Church as Normative for Anglicans

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 September 2012

J. Barrington Bates
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Abstract

This essay examines the Anglican claim for the early church as the normative standard for liturgy, as reiterated throughout our history from the time of Thomas Cranmer through the liturgical revisions of the late twentieth century. A secondary claim of general uniformity through similarity in texts of common prayer is then discussed as a point of historic resonance for Anglican identity. Some very general examples of early church evidence follow, as a means of debunking the notion of a unified and simple structure for primitive liturgy. I will then discuss the notion of ‘early church’, and what we mean by terms like it, and follow this with a consideration of liturgical diversity. The gospel call to privilege Christian unity, I will assert, remains the primary stumbling block to the full embracing of the God-given diversity of the one holy, catholic and apostolic church.

Keywords

Anglican liturgyChristian unityearly church liturgydiversityLambeth Conference 1958liturgical reform
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Anglican Studies , Volume 12 , Issue 1 , May 2014 , pp. 37 - 58
Copyright
Copyright © The Journal of Anglican Studies Trust 2012 

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Footnotes

1.

A priest of the Episcopal Church, J. Barrington Bates holds a PhD in liturgical studies from Drew University. He currently serves as interim rector of Grace Church Van Vorst, Jersey City, New Jersey, and as adjunct professor of liturgics at the General Theological Seminary.

References

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11. From the Preface to the first American Book of Common Prayer (1789), reprinted from The Rite Brain.Google Scholar

12. From the ‘Historical Documents’ of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer,emphasis>reprinted from The Rite Brain. The four quadrilateral principles whereby an ‘approach may be by God's blessing made towards Home Reunion’ were affirmed by the 1888 Lambeth Conference: (1) The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as ‘containing all things necessary to salvation’, and as being the rule and ultimate standard of faith; (2) the apostles’ Creed, as the baptismal symbol; and the Nicene Creed, as the sufficient statement of the Christian faith; (3) the two Sacraments ordained by Christ himself – Baptism and the Supper of the Lord – ministered with unfailing use of Christ's words of institution, and of the elements ordained by him; (4) the historic Episcopate, locally adapted in the methods of its administration to the varying needs of the nations and peoples called of God into the unity of his Church.’ – Resolution 11, Lambeth Conference of 1888, Book of Common Prayer [1979] (New York: Church Hymnal Corporation, 1976), pp. 877–78.reprinted+from+The+Rite+Brain.+The+four+quadrilateral+principles+whereby+an+‘approach+may+be+by+God's+blessing+made+towards+Home+Reunion’+were+affirmed+by+the+1888+Lambeth+Conference:+(1)+The+Holy+Scriptures+of+the+Old+and+New+Testaments,+as+‘containing+all+things+necessary+to+salvation’,+and+as+being+the+rule+and+ultimate+standard+of+faith;+(2)+the+apostles’+Creed,+as+the+baptismal+symbol;+and+the+Nicene+Creed,+as+the+sufficient+statement+of+the+Christian+faith;+(3)+the+two+Sacraments+ordained+by+Christ+himself+–+Baptism+and+the+Supper+of+the+Lord+–+ministered+with+unfailing+use+of+Christ's+words+of+institution,+and+of+the+elements+ordained+by+him;+(4)+the+historic+Episcopate,+locally+adapted+in+the+methods+of+its+administration+to+the+varying+needs+of+the+nations+and+peoples+called+of+God+into+the+unity+of+his+Church.’+–+Resolution+11,+Lambeth+Conference+of+1888,+Book+of+Common+Prayer+[1979]+(New+York:+Church+Hymnal+Corporation,+1976),+pp.+877–78.>Google Scholar

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19. Shepherd, ‘Patristic Heritage’, p. 221.

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35. Bayne, Anglican Turning Point, p. 198.Google Scholar

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55. Bradshaw, ‘Liturgical Use’, p. 140.Google Scholar

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59. Shepherd, ‘Patristic Heritage’, p. 227. One wonders what Massey Shepherd would think of the latest round of new commemorations in the Episcopal Church. See Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, Holy Women, Holy Men (New York: Church Publishing, 2010). This volume contains commemorations so numerous, including many that occur on the same calendrical day, that it provoked an online ‘Lenten Smackdown’ contest to choose between options!Google Scholar

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61. Article 34, ‘Of the Traditions of the Church’, reprinted from The Rite Brain.Google Scholar

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66. For but one manifestation of this, see Morris, Clayton L., ‘Prayer Book Revision or Liturgical Renewal? The Future of the Liturgical Text’, in Ruth A. Meyers (ed.), A Prayer Book for the Twenty-first Century: Liturgical Studies, Three (New York: Church Hymnal Corporation, 1996), p. 245.Google Scholar

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71. Issues specific to language cannot readily be addressed in this context. Some aspects of modern liturgical language are critiqued elsewhere; see Barrington Bates, J., ‘Sinful Asyndeton? Problematic Syntax in Contemporary Liturgical Texts’, Theology Today 58.3 (October 2001), pp. 399–411 . Doody decries the [1979] Book of Common Prayer for its lack of ‘that poetic power of rhythm and statement which engraves itself upon the memory’ (Margaret A. Doody, ‘ “How Shall We Sing the Lord's Song upon an Alien Soil?” The New Episcopalian Liturgy’, in Christopher Ricks and Leonard Michaels [eds.], The State of the Language [Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1980], p. 117). Given the state of our liturgical language, perhaps it is all the better that we Anglicans appear to be moving away from our book-bound identity!CrossRefGoogle Scholar

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78. See, for instance, Bradshaw, Reconstructing Early Christian Worship and McGowan, Ascetic Eucharists.Google Scholar