Daily Prayer In The Early Church

'In liturgical study, and especially in English liturgical study, the subject of the daily office has always been something of the poor relation', writes the author in his preface. This volume aims to do something to fill that gap. It begins with a detailed examination of the Jewish background and of the practice of daily prayer in the first three centuries of the Church, and goes on to trace the evolution of the divine office in both its monastic and secular forms in East and West down to the time of St. Benedict. Intended as a replacement forThe Influence of the Synagogue upon the Divine Officeby C. W. Dugmore (Alcuin Club Collection No. 45), it not only incorporates the results of recent research by continental scholars and others but also challenges traditional assumptions at a number of important points, offering a fresh interpretation of the evidence.

'In liturgical study, and especially in English liturgical study, the subject of the daily office has always been something of the poor relation', writes the author in his preface. This volume aims to do something to fill that gap. It begins with a detailed examination of the Jewish background and of the practice of daily prayer in the first three centuries of the Church, and goes on to trace the evolution of the divine office in both its monastic and secular forms in East and West down to the time of St. Benedict. Intended as a replacement for The Influence of the Synagogue upon the Divine Office by C. W. Dugmore (Alcuin Club Collection No. 45), it not only incorporates the results of recent research by continental scholars and others but also challenges traditional assumptions at a number of important points, offering a fresh interpretation of the evidence.

Prayers of the Early Church, edited by J. Manning Potts was first published in 1908. It contains a selection of prayers, arranged chronologically, and collected from many old books of prayers and devotional materials. Chapters include; New Testament Prayers (Simeon, Mary, Jesus, Stephen, Paul, Peter); Other First Century Prayers (Clement of Rome, Clementine Liturgy, Syrian Clementine Liturgy); Second Century Prayers (Polycarp, Ignatius, Liturgy of St. James, Barnabas, Clement of Alexandria, Irenaeus); Third Century Prayers (Old Gallican Sacramentary, Liturgy of St. Mark, Eastern Church Liturgy, Eastern Church Vespers); Fourth Century Prayers (Coptic Liturgy of St. Cyril, Ambrose, Nerses of Clajes, Gallican Sacramentary, Armenian Liturgy, Basil, Chrysostom, Augustine, Apostolic Constitutions); and, Fifth Century Prayers (Liturgy of the Nestorians, Ancient Collect, Leonine Sacramentary, Gelasian Sacramentary, Liturgy of the Blessed Apostles).

This revised, expanded edition of the Common Worship President’s Edition contains everything to celebrate Holy Communion Order One throughout the church year. It combines relevant material from the original President’s Edition with Eucharistic material from Times and Seasons, Festivals and Pastoral Services, and the Additional Collects.

A collection of readings selected from early Christian writers to accompany the 453 liturgical days in the Daily Office Lectionary of The Book of Common Prayer. This serves as an excellent introductory course in the theology of the early Church as well as a way to deepen one's understanding of the Church's doctrinal tradition based in Holy Scripture. (524 pp)

A treasury of prayer in the centuries old Anglican, Lutheran, Roman Catholic tradition of the offices. The material is arranged to facilitate use by clergy and laity; to be a prayer book for all the people of God. It is intended for the faithful of many denominations--to be used whole or in part, in private, in families, or small groups in churches. This is complete prayer book in the ancient way of offices including text and music: Evening Prayer for each season of the Church year (Advent, Christmas-Epiphany, General Time, Lent, Holy Week, Easter); Morning Prayer for each season of the Church year; Compline; Forms for Prayer during the Day (mid-morning, noon, mid-afternoon); Proper antiphons with each Psalm and with the Gospel Canticles; Psalm prayers and prayers appropriate for each Old Testament and New Testament canticle; Hymns ancient and modern with music; Two-year BCP-LBW daily lectionary; Proper Responsories in Morning Prayer; An ecumenical course of collects, ancient and modern, for every Sunday of the year and for every day of Christmas, Lent, and Easter; An enriched calendar of festivals and commemorations; Prayers, intercessions, devotional prayers.

A new and updated edition of a much-praised work, this is vital reading for anyone who wishes to understand the nature of prayer. Down-to-earth and accessible, yet applauded for its scholarship, it is, as reviewers said of the first edition, truly exciting to read and full of help and sympathy for the Christian who finds prayer difficult. Company of Voices begins with a problem that is all too recognizable. If all that Christianity claims about life and living is true, then prayer ought to be the most natural activity in the world. Yet apart from moments of crisis when prayer arises spontaneously, it is mostly an added extra to the business of daily living, something that is a struggle to find time for. George Guiver, CR, sets out to find why this should be so. His search takes him to study the practice of daily prayer throughout the church's history: the offering of prayer several times a day in churches, cathedrals and monasteries, and individuals at their private payer. He considers the form and content of prayers handed down over the centuries, prayer and human nature, our understanding of the church, the varying formulas of prayer in different spiritual traditions, symbolism and gesture, prayer as work and play, wordless prayer, and much more--all with the aim of learning from the past for the needs of today. Truly breathtaking in its scope, this important study deserves its reputation as a contemporary spiritual classic.