Anglican Public Worship

by Colin Dunlop

I know of no book which does precisely what Bishop Dunlop's book does the Archbishop of York has written. First published in 1953, Anglican Public Worship has been valued by Anglicans and non-Anglicans alike for 'the balance of his exposition, its sharp clarity, its felicity of illustration, its temper of sweet reasonableness' (Church Quarterly Review); 'such confidence and persuasiveness and religious concern' (British Weekly). It has become the standard introduction to its subject, and now it is republished with a new chapter on Prayer Book Revision, based on Bishop Dunlop's experience as Chairman of the Liturgical Commission of the Church of England from its formation until 1960.

Genres: Theology

142 pages, Paperback

First published February 8, 2012

Reviews

[Derek DeMars · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm grateful one of my new friends in the Anglican Church recommended this book to me, as it was an enriching and informative look at why the church's public worship is so important and takes the shape that it does. Not only did Bishop Dunlop's little book instill in me a greater respect for the richness of the English prayer book services, but it taught me a deeper understanding of worship in general.

Indeed, the book's first three chapters would be a fantastic primer on the theology of worship for anyone interested in or responsible for leading public worship. Dunlop dismantles a great deal of faulty thinking about worship that is far too prevalent still today, especially in much of evangelical Protestantism, and which has only gotten worse since the 1950s when he wrote this. He deals at length with why it's wrong to see the church's worship as a means to some earthly, human end -- even so great ends as being inspired to live a more ethical life or live more "Christianly" the rest of the week. This is because worship is, first and foremost, something we give to God and something which is meant to fit us for being in his presence in eternity; it is not something which we are primarily to get something from for ourselves. Dunlop explains all of this with intellectual and theological rigor and succeeds admirably in his aim of driving home the value of corporate worship rightly understood.

From there he explains the Trinitarian dimensions of true worship (our praise is to the Father, through Christ the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit, or else it is not true worship at all), before diving into the specific material of liturgical worship (the prayers, hymns, Eucharistic services, the daily office/lectionary, and the Book of Common Prayer). Dunlop focuses specifically on the materials of the Anglican liturgical tradition, so the usefulness of the latter two-thirds of the book will no doubt dwindle for those outside this denomination. But for someone like me who is seeking to become more familiar with and, indeed, more at home in that tradition, the material is invaluable.

I do wish more space had been devoted to discussing differing Anglican views on matters of preference such as the use of instruments or incense in public worship, since these are often debated and vary from parish to parish. Also, little was said about the varying degrees of Catholic vs. Protestant influence across different sectors of the denomination.

Still, those topics Dunlop does cover are given a thoughtful treatment and it was a delight to read as he shared, almost grandfatherlike, the beauty of his heritage of worship, commending it to future generations. If you are interested in learning more about the Anglican tradition of Christian worship, or even if you are involved in public worship ministry outside of Anglicanism, this book is great food for thought. And if you are considering pursuing ordination within Anglicanism, it's a must-read.

[Rex · Rating 5 out of 5]

A near-perfect introduction to the meaning and purpose of traditional worship, and the classical Anglican liturgy more specifically.