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A Kind of Liturgical ARCIC? The Ecumenical Potential of the four Eucharistic Prayers of Rite A in The Alternative Service Book 1980
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 30 January 2009
Abstract
This essay originated as a contribution to the joint course on eucharistic theology and practice for St Mary's Seminary, Oscott, and The Queen's College in Birmingham. Its purpose was to highlight, in a context in which Roman Catholic, Methodist, United Reformed, and Church of England ordinands were considering divergent approaches to the eucharist, that many of the questions were faced by the Church of England internally because of its doctrinal breadth. The Eucharistic Prayers of The Alternative Service Book 1980, therefore, can almost be regarded as ‘agreed statements’, but in the setting of worship and as a means of worship, and so are worthy to be set alongside purely theological statements such as the Final Report of ARCIC 1 or the WCC document Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry as a liturgical contribution to the continuing ecumenical debate.
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- Copyright © Scottish Journal of Theology Ltd 1991
References
1 Many contemporary eucharistic rites of other Provinces would have great difficulty in gaining General Synod authorisation, such are the doctrinal sensitivities in England. For a collection of recent tects see Buchanan, C. O. (Ed.), Latest Anglican Liturgies 1976–1984, London, S.P.C.K., 1986.Google Scholar
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5 At least, that was the original intention and was too inhibiting for some; consequently, an opening note was added for Rite A: ‘In addition to the taking of the bread and the cup at section 36 the president may use traditional manual acts during the Eucharistic prayer.’
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9 The verb ‘celebrate’ appears weak as an alternative to ‘offer’ at first sight, but see the essay entitled ‘Celebration’ by Bradshaw, P. F. in Jasper, R.C.D. (Ed.), The Eucharist Today: Studies in Series 3, London, S.P.C.K., 1974, pp. 130–141Google Scholar. On the basis of the Classical Latin background to the verb, Bradshaw demonstrates that ‘celebrate’ ‘can mean no more than “to do” or “to perform” in a liturgical context; on the other hand it can carry all the meaning which is conveyed by the expression “to make the anamnesis of”, depending upon the contexts in which it is used’.
10 Realising that the nature of the language of the anamnesis is a sensitive area, the General Synod's Code of Practice accompanying the new Ecumenical Canons (The Church of England's denominational provision for relationships with other Churches) states: ‘Recent liturgical revision in Church of England has not described the preparation of the bread and wine as the Offertory, nor has the action been identified with the dominical act of taking. Also the rites do not speak of the bread and wine as being offered to God in the Eucharistic action in a way that asserts that the gifts are being offered in sacrifice. Rites which go beyond this restraint may become a cause for controversy and division. Sacrificial imagery has been used and interpreted in a variety of ways in the continuing tradition of Church and this process quite properly continues.’ Edumenical Relations Canons B43 and B44: Code of Practice, London, General Synod of the Church of England, 1989 Edition, par s. 85, 84; pp. 22, 23.
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