The Penitential Psalms and Ash Wednesday Services in the Book of Common Prayer, 1549-1662

This paper traces the presence and the particular uses made of the seven Penitential Psalms in services for Ash Wednesday and related occasions, in successive versions of the Book of Common Prayer, from 1549 to 1662. A brief history of the Seven Psalms and their place in pre-Reformation liturgy, as...

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Main Author: Charles Whitworth
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Centre de Recherche et d'Etudes en Civilisation Britannique 2017-05-01
Series:Revue Française de Civilisation Britannique
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Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/rfcb/1222
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author Charles Whitworth
author_facet Charles Whitworth
author_sort Charles Whitworth
collection DOAJ
description This paper traces the presence and the particular uses made of the seven Penitential Psalms in services for Ash Wednesday and related occasions, in successive versions of the Book of Common Prayer, from 1549 to 1662. A brief history of the Seven Psalms and their place in pre-Reformation liturgy, as set down notably in the Use of Sarum (though they were prescribed in ecclesiastical treatises even earlier), precedes a close examination of the evolution of their use in the first four Anglican prayer books, and in the earliest American (Episcopalian) version (1789). It is notable that the seven Psalms were included, in various groupings and at various points within the Ash Wednesday or Lenten Sunday services, throughout the period of the early revisions of the Prayer Book. The striking symmetry of the Latin incipits of the seven Psalms, and their perceived appropriateness for the services of penitence on Ash Wednesday and other services in Lent, continued to command the attention and respect of revisers of the successive versions of the Book of Common Prayer, as it had done for their predecessors since the early Middle Ages.
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spelling doaj-art-4be03c99d4e84500b2b9f1d6ef82bbd82024-12-09T15:27:42ZengCentre de Recherche et d'Etudes en Civilisation BritanniqueRevue Française de Civilisation Britannique0248-90152429-43732017-05-0122110.4000/rfcb.1222The Penitential Psalms and Ash Wednesday Services in the Book of Common Prayer, 1549-1662Charles WhitworthThis paper traces the presence and the particular uses made of the seven Penitential Psalms in services for Ash Wednesday and related occasions, in successive versions of the Book of Common Prayer, from 1549 to 1662. A brief history of the Seven Psalms and their place in pre-Reformation liturgy, as set down notably in the Use of Sarum (though they were prescribed in ecclesiastical treatises even earlier), precedes a close examination of the evolution of their use in the first four Anglican prayer books, and in the earliest American (Episcopalian) version (1789). It is notable that the seven Psalms were included, in various groupings and at various points within the Ash Wednesday or Lenten Sunday services, throughout the period of the early revisions of the Prayer Book. The striking symmetry of the Latin incipits of the seven Psalms, and their perceived appropriateness for the services of penitence on Ash Wednesday and other services in Lent, continued to command the attention and respect of revisers of the successive versions of the Book of Common Prayer, as it had done for their predecessors since the early Middle Ages.https://journals.openedition.org/rfcb/1222liturgyBook of Common PrayerPenitential PsalmsLent
spellingShingle Charles Whitworth
The Penitential Psalms and Ash Wednesday Services in the Book of Common Prayer, 1549-1662
Revue Française de Civilisation Britannique
liturgy
Book of Common Prayer
Penitential Psalms
Lent
title The Penitential Psalms and Ash Wednesday Services in the Book of Common Prayer, 1549-1662
title_full The Penitential Psalms and Ash Wednesday Services in the Book of Common Prayer, 1549-1662
title_fullStr The Penitential Psalms and Ash Wednesday Services in the Book of Common Prayer, 1549-1662
title_full_unstemmed The Penitential Psalms and Ash Wednesday Services in the Book of Common Prayer, 1549-1662
title_short The Penitential Psalms and Ash Wednesday Services in the Book of Common Prayer, 1549-1662
title_sort penitential psalms and ash wednesday services in the book of common prayer 1549 1662
topic liturgy
Book of Common Prayer
Penitential Psalms
Lent
url https://journals.openedition.org/rfcb/1222
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