Theology Update for the Week of April 6, 2025


Sunday Theology Talks

The Book of Common Prayer:
History and Theology

2. Comprehension and Restoration: Radicals and Royalists

Guest Speaker:

The Rev. Dr. Andrew McGowan
Dean of Berkeley Divinity School and
McFaddin Professor of Anglican Studies at Yale

Handout

YouTube link

Dear Friends,

On Sunday April 6th we carry on our series of four Theology Talks on the History and Theology of the Book of Common Prayer.

As you know, the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) is the name given to the book of prayers used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. A permanent feature of the Anglican and Episcopal Churches’ worship and a key source for their doctrine, the Book of Common Prayer is loved for the beauty of its language and as a treasure of spirituality.

Here are the titles and the dates of the series (Video-Recording and Handouts of previous talks can be accessed by clicking on the title):

1. The First Books of Common Prayer: Reformation and Tradition (January 12)
2. Comprehension and Restoration: Radicals and Royalists (April 6)
3. The Beginnings of an American Prayer Book (June 15)
4. The New Prayer Book: From 1928 to 1979 (June 22).

The Rev. Dr. Andrew McGowan has been Dean of Berkeley Divinity School and McFaddin Professor of Anglican Studies at Yale since 2014. His scholarship focuses on ancient Christianity and especially the Eucharist, food and meals, and sacrifice, and on aspects of contemporary Anglicanism. His books include Ancient Christian Worship (Baker Academic, 2014) and Seven Last Words: Cross and Creation (Cascade, 2021), the latter based on Good Friday sermons given at S. Thomas in 2017. He was formerly editor of the Journal of Anglican Studies.

The class will take place as usual on Sunday at 10 am in the Parish House, 5th floor and The Rev. Dr. Andrew McGowan will deliver it in person.

As usual the class will be both in person and via the livestream and the link with the handout will be sent later this week.

All blessings,

Fr. Luigi Gioia
Theologian In Residence