The Anglican Eucharist 1900-1967: an historical survey of the theological and liturgical developments during this period with particular reference to the catholic and evangelical wings of the Church of England

Abstract

An historical survey of the theological and liturgical developments in this field in the Church of England with particular reference to the catholic and evangelical wings of the Church. Theories concerning Eucharistic Sacrifice are considered particularly those of the 'Heavenly Session' school of thought, Spens, Hicks, Mascall, and the conservative evangelicals together with the modifications of Lampe and C.F.D. Moule. Various semi-official doctrinal statements of the Church of England are also noted. Theories of Eucharistic Presence are also presented including those of O.C. Quick and William Temple in addition to those which could be more clearly distinguished as 'catholic' or 'evangelical'; an appendix relates all these theories to the practice of Reservation and Extra-liturgical Devotions. The theology of the Body of Christ, the Church, is considered in relationship to the Eucharist and with this the emerging theology of the laity. The rediscovery of the cosmic significance of the Eucharist is particularly noted in its relationship to current Roman Catholic and Orthodox thought. There is a survey of the Liturgical revision in the Church of England throughout this century with special reference to the question of Reservation, the 1927/8 Prayer Book debates and the emergence of Series II. Reference is made to the Liturgy of the Church of South India and revision throughout the Anglican Communion as a whole. These liturgical revisions are then placed in their background of the European Liturgical movement and the development of the Parish Communion Movement in the Church of England. Finally liturgy and theology are seen in relationship to ecclesiastical architecture, which is shown to have changed considerably to embody the new understanding of the Eucharist as corporate action and the Liturgy which has been designed to translate this into terms of worship.