Praying Shapes Believing: A Theological Commentary on the Book of Common Prayer

by Leonel L. Mitchell

Praying Shapes Believing

Genres: Religion, Theology, Christianity, Nonfiction, Christian

Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Rev. Leonel L. Mitchell

Reviews

[Esther Meek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m reading through this old book bit by bit daily to understand the liturgy more deeply. I love this comment: “Liturgical rites may be proposed by committees of experts and authorized by General Convention, but it is only in their use by Christian congregations, as they are chewed and digested by the Church and by individual worshiping Christians and become a part of their way of praying and believing, that they become true liturgy, the lex orandi which establishes the lex credendi. When this has had time to happen, we shall be better able to explain the theology . . .” (126-27) This sounds very much like subsidiary focal integration to me!—bodily indwelling the text to grasp it truly, and to invite the real.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as the bread which is the sacramental sign of the body of Christ can, because it is real bread, become stale or moldy or soggy, so, too, can we (the church) who are the sacramental sign of the body of Christ, because we are fallen human beings, become sinful and stupid and cause the whole church to appear sinful and stupid. But like bread, we are only the human sign of Christ's body. The body of Christ is both head and members, and Christ is the head undiminished by the failure of the sign.

In the first couple of chapters, Leonel Mitchell comes across as the expected pedant when we crack the covers of a book declaring itself a "theological commentary"...

Interpreted Christologically in the liturgical context of the vigil...

It is very difficult to celebrate [these feasts] festively, and they are frequently perceived as only pedagogical and as occasions of giving an historical lecture as a homily.

Genesis 22:1-18, Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac, or more properly the binding of Isaac--since the story makes the point that Abraham did not sacrifice Isaac though he was willing to...

Presumably God understands both sixteenth- and twentieth-century English.

The Prayer of St. Chrysostom, which was taken by Cranmer from a Latin translation of the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, and is not actually by the fourth-century bishop, expresses well the theology of common prayer.

The Psalter collect is intended to give the assembly a Christian focus for their praying of the Psalter.

Yet, despite snobbery and pedantic prose, Mitchell and his updating co-author Ruth Meyer reveal the spiritual vitality inherent in the liturgy expressed within the 1979 Book of Common Prayer (BCP). After the first third, Mitchell examines baptismal, Eucharistic, and Ordination rites with an eye towards what theological premises they convey and which they obscure.

Theologians tend to be anal critics deconstructing religious practices to "prove" (often by the very standards they themselves construct and define) a rite is unintentionally ambiguous or inferior. While Mitchell wants his reader to adopt the critical stance of the theologian, he strives to demonstrate how meaningful and inspiring many rites within the 1979 BCP are. As a theologian, Mitchell is going to foray in pedantry--but he manages to rein in his tendencies at critical junctures to provide insights which are profound and provocative.

For a book choosing this as a thesis, Mitchell has done a great job. I highly recommend this volume to anyone wishing further insight into the practices and rituals expressed in the Book of Common Prayer. I prefer Marion Hatchett's Commentary on the American Prayer Book, but, unlike Hatchett, Mitchell's examination pulls in a lot more than historical precedents and surface observations. Worth a read for anyone who spends time with the BCP and wants to take this surface knowledge to the next level.

[Kdpmurphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a required (text) book for a class I took as part of my year of discernment. It is a very dry book and is not meant to be read cover to cover. The proefessor divided the book into sections and I would advise the same. Perhaps reading it according to the the liturgical calendar would be best if not reading it for a course. I gained so much insight into so many aspects of Anglican spirituality and liturgy. Definitely a must read for anyone seeking a better understanding of the purpise of liturgy and the Book of Common Prayer.

[Cathryn Conroy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that is heavy on theology, and while it is and packed with fascinating information, it will be appreciated by a very small audience: Episcopalians who want to know more about The Book of Common Prayer.

Walk into any Episcopal church in any city in any state, and you will see the ubiquitous red Book of Common Prayer in the pew book holders. This prayer book, originally written in 1549 by Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury under King Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I (she had him burned at the stake), is essential to the Episcopal worship service and the private prayer life of all Episcopalians.

Author Leonel L. Mitchell, a liturgical scholar, Episcopal priest, and part of the group that revised The Book of Common Prayer for publication in 1979, goes through each section of the prayer book and explains not only what it means, but also how language affects our relationship with God. Our worship activity—how we do it and what we say—underlies our religious belief.

The book was originally published in 1985 to help explain the sea change differences between the then-new Book of Common Prayer and the one it replaced, which was published in 1929. From Morning Prayer to the Sunday Eucharist, from baptism to burial, from the collects to the catechism, Mitchell takes a deep dive into the theological grounding and the meaning of each.

I should note that this book was revised in 2016. My review is based on the first edition, published in 1985.

This is intriguing if you're an Episcopalian, but otherwise not particularly useful.

[David Tollefsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having used the BCP for a number of years I was looking forward to this book. I found it a little disappointing though. I think I expected more theological insights than what it gave. It felt more like a cursory overview of the BCP which I already had. I learned more from Olsen’s “Inwardly Digest.” It felt like the author was embarrassed by some things in the prayerbook that were quickly glossed over and then fixed with talking about how Enriching Our Worship does it better.

Also, there were points where the author made it seem like believing wasn’t the purpose behind praying. Which is kinda strange given the title. For instance, commenting on the declaration for a bishop “I believe in the OT and NT as the word of God and containing all things necessary to salvation,” Ruth (Or Rev Lionel) comments that this means it contains all things, not that you must believe all things which seemed odd. Shouldn’t a bishop actually believe in these things?

[Thom · Rating 5 out of 5]

So yes, 5 stars, but for the fairly narrow audience of Episcopalians. Mitchell and Myers provide a very readable and approachable text to explain the backgrounds and “whys” of the Book of Common Prayer and even some of the ongoing discussion about reform of the Prayer book.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good, thorough commentary on the BCP. I felt it was gently given vs. being a harsh stance on themes. It presented disagreements and revisions with a stance but not combatively which occurs often in liturgical "discussions" (aka debates). I would like to emphasize thorough, too.

[Trey Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to know the meaning behind the 1979 American Book of Common Prayer, look no further.

[Mary Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gave me such a new perspective on the liturgy of the Episcopal Church. I really enjoyed learning why we do things the way we do.

[Dom William OSB · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book by a great liturgical theologian, who happened to be my advisor in seminary and professor of liturgics. Lee Mitchell was a great guy. The premise is, of course, what one prays, one believes....and hence, the development of Christians of the Episcopal flavor. Oddly enough, we now see what he means, as the Episcopal Church has pretty much embraced the Book of Common Prayer 1979. Rest well, dear Lee. Memory eternal.

[Nick Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is OK. I guess maybe I was expecting a little more. With the subtitle “A Theological Commentary on The Book of Common Prayer” I was expecting a little more theology. There’s a great deal of explanation. But a shockingly small amount of theology — until the very last chapter, tucked neatly away behind the curtain of the main text. And even then, I find it to be quite superficial. I would recommend reading The Study of Liturgy, edited by Jones, et al.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little dry, but full of good information

[Jabbott · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great commentary on the 1979 Book of Common Prayer.

[Kate Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too often, it's more of a summary than a theological explanation or exploration.