1662 Book of Common Prayer – 350th Anniversary
Public Seminar – 23-24 August 2012
Dead Letter or Living Legacy?
Session 1: Thursday 23 August – 3:00pm-5:30pm
Session 2: Friday 24 August – 9:00am-4:00pm
Organisers: Dr Michael Gladwin and Professor Tom Frame
This August marks the 350th anniversary of the publication of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer (BCP). One of the most influential literary productions in the English language, the 1662 edition of the BCP has exerted a profound impact on literature, language and theology; as well as on how people have prayed and worshipped for 350 years. The BCP’s wider influence has been felt as it has accompanied the Church of England’s expansion from a national church to a global communion since the seventeenth century.
St Mark’s is using this anniversary as an opportunity for a public seminar to reassess the BCP’s influence, significance and relevance both for the past and for today. Several papers will situate the BCP within its historical context during the Reformation and in different phases of Australian history, colonial and modern. Other papers will examine the theological content and influence of the BCP, while others will address the question of its relevance and value for the 21st century in settings ranging from the modern parish to youth culture. Along with a choral evensong using the rubric of the 1662 BCP, this seminar will enable participants to deepen their experience as well as their understanding of one of the most important documents in our history.
This seminar, open to all members of the public, is a wonderful opportunity to hear some of Australia’s finest historians and theologians as they seek to further St Mark’s vision of engaging the people of God with issues of importance to Australian society.
If you wish to attend, please return a completed registration form to St Mark’s front office. Group bookings, such as parish or chaplaincy groups, are also welcome.
Full Details are at : http://www.stmarksntc.org.au/home/news_events/bcp350/bcp350.htm