Bishop Colin Buchanan on Liturgical Reform

The most well-known evangelical advocate of the reform and "renewal" of Liturgy in the last third of the 20th century was Colin Buchanan, as he worked from St John's College, Nottingham and then as a suffragan Bishop in Birmingham. He demonstrated learning, enthusiasm and advocacy for the creation of a whole new, modern liturgy for the Church of England and Anglican Churches abroad. To this day, Grove Books, which he founded, publishes all kinds of liturgical and other studies. (But now in the 21st Century Colin is perhaps best known as an advocate of the dis-establishment of the Church of England.)

In 1982, twenty years ago, he wrote of liturgical reform:

"Essentially, English language revision took place in two stages: 1. 'Thou '-form texts, which ruled unchallenged until 1966, and yet never produced a new text after 1968. 2. 'You'-form texts, which were unthinkable before 1966, and invariable after 1968." ("Liturgical Revision" in LITURGY RESHAPED, ed. K. Stevenson, 1982, p,147)

He went on to claim that this analysis covered the C of E, the R.C. Church & the Methodist Church in Britain, as well as Anglican Church abroad.

We may recall that immediately after Vatican II Roman Catholics used traditional English for translation of the Mass but that this ceased around 1970, with the big push for the use of a modern vernacular translation from Rome. Since 1970 only a modern vernacular translation has been permitted.

But did the production of "Thou-form" texts cease as he says by 1968? I think not. If we look at the 1979 Prayer Book of the ECUSA, we find that there are "Thou-form" services and while they have much in common with those in the 1928 BCP they are certainly not identical. The "shape" of the Communion Rite is changed to fit the "shape" of Rite II and a totally new Prayer of Consecration is provided as an alternative in Rite I. The latter was specially written for the 1979 book. Further, there are verbal (doctrinal) corrections & omissions made in not a few places in traditional prayers and exhortations.

So did the production totally cease with the 1979 book? I think not.

If we look at the "Common Worship" (2000ff.) of the Church of England, we find that there is in the "Thou-form" both the use of modified/adjusted services (Morning & Evening Prayer, Litany & Holy Communion) from "The Book of Common Prayer" (1662), and the creation of new Collects, Prefaces and Prayers to go with Days not covered in the BCP of 1662.

Of course Buchanan is substantially right. No new prayer book as such, or no completely new Rites, have been produced in traditional language since 1968.

So the question comes to mind and surely has to be faced --- WHY 1968? WHY the late 1960s? What was it about the 1960s that caused all the Churches
from Roman Catholic to Pentecostalist to decide to leave behind centuries of hallowed use of the classical English language, idiom and dialect of public prayer and worship?

And a further question arises - WHY do some congregations insist in the 21st century on continuing to use the pre-1966 Rites?

The Rev'd Dr. Peter Toon