“Finger” Book of Common Prayer

5j Book of Common Prayer. Oxford: University Press, ca. Description The Book of Common Prayer is a foundational text for the Anglican Church, first compiled in 1549 under the direction of Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, during the English Reformation. It was created to provide a unified, English-language guide for worship, replacing the Latin liturgical books previously used in England. The book includes services for daily prayer, the Eucharist, baptisms, weddings, funerals, and other rites, as well as a calendar of saints and readings from Scripture. Revised several times over the centuries—most notably in 1552, 1662, and in modern versions used by various Anglican and Episcopal churches—the Book of Common Prayer has had a lasting impact on English-speaking Christianity. Its language has shaped not only religious practice but also English literature and public life, offering a balance of formality, beauty, and theological clarity that continues to resonate in both traditiona