Our fidelity to the 1662 Book of Common Prayer is not, nor ought it to be, merely a matter of liturgical style or of sentimental attachment to a venerable form of Christian worship, commendable as that may be. Its deepest relevance lies rather in the theology it expresses: a biblical, Reformed theology, catholic in the best and fullest sense of the word, rooted in justification by faith, the centrality of Holy Scripture, and the glory of God as the ultimate end of the Church’s life. The BCP is not an archaeological relic, but a living declaration of the Gospel in the form of prayer, teaching, and worship. The challenge, as the title suggests, is to exercise an active fidelity that preserves and keeps alive the heart of Anglicanism.
For this reason, the task of updating its language and structure should not be understood as a betrayal of its spirit, but as an act of responsible fidelity. Rather than allowing ourselves to be trapped in the false dichotomy between the “traditional” and the “contemporary”, we must recognise that the true treasure of the BCP lies in its Christ-centred theology and in its capacity to shape the mind and heart of God’s people according to his revealed Word. Preserving that theology requires translating it with precision, reverence, and clarity into the language and context of the present, so that it does not lose its formative power for new generations.
Anglican liturgical history shows that forms of worship have evolved, but not always with the explicit commitment to preserve the doctrinal content that defines our confessional identity. We believe that the Reformed orthodoxy of the BCP, expressed in its doctrine of sin and grace, its teaching on justification, its spiritual and non-sacrificial understanding of the Lord’s Supper, and its vision of the ministry as the preaching of the Word and the building up of the body of Christ, is not negotiable. That theology must continue to shape new expressions of our public worship, not as a lifeless legacy, but as a living foundation on which to build liturgies that speak to the heart of today’s world without losing the voice of the Church of all ages.
In this sense, updating the BCP is not merely a liturgical reform but also a pedagogical and pastoral strategy. A careful and faithful modernisation enables its doctrinal riches to be more easily understood, prayed, and taught by those who no longer inhabit the linguistic universe of the seventeenth century. This is not about diluting its content, but about making it shine more clearly; not about rendering it superficial, but about making it accessible and useful for the edification of God’s people. In this way, we not only ensure that its theology continues to mould our worship, but also prepare ourselves, as growing Anglican provinces, eventually to compose our own liturgies—mature, biblical, and fully coherent with the spirit of the 1662 BCP—which is one of our most immediate goals.
This work is possible, and indeed necessary, because what we have received is not the English original but a translation. Unlike the Church of England, bound for historical and legal reasons to the 1662 text, we have the freedom, and the responsibility, to update its Spanish version so that it faithfully communicates the same theological content in language that is intelligible, reverent, and useful for the Church today. This opportunity must not be squandered.
If Anglicanism is to maintain its theological integrity in an increasingly fragmented ecclesial world, it cannot do so by relying solely on the memory of the past. We must understand deeply what we have received, translate it wisely into our present, and offer it faithfully to the generations to come. Updating the BCP is, in this sense, an ecclesial act of hope, a way of honouring our roots so that they may continue to bear fruit in the future.
Introductory Note
This edition of the Book of Common Prayer does not seek to pay homage to an ancient form for aesthetic or historical reasons, but to preserve and transmit the biblical and Reformed theology that makes it fundamental for Anglicanism. Its language has been reverently and faithfully updated, not to adapt it to passing liturgical fashions, but to keep alive its capacity to shape God’s people spiritually.
The doctrinal riches of the 1662 BCP—expressed in its teaching on sin and grace, justification by faith alone, its spiritual understanding of the Lord’s Supper, and the centrality of the preached Word—remain indispensable. In updating its Spanish translation we do not alter its content, but render it understandable, prayable, and teachable in our time.
Unlike the English original, whose reform is legally constrained, we work with a translation and therefore have both the freedom and the responsibility to preserve and communicate its theology clearly for the edification of the Spanish-speaking Church today. This edition is an expression of active fidelity to the doctrinal roots of Anglicanism and, at the same time, a preparation for the day when we may compose our own liturgies, firmly anchored in the same faith.
Brief Presentation
This updated edition of the Book of Common Prayer seeks to preserve its biblical and Reformed theology in clear and reverent language. It is not a tribute to the past, but a living tool for the spiritual formation of the present. Its renewal in Spanish is an expression of active fidelity to our Anglican roots and a responsible preparation for future liturgies, firmly anchored in the same faith.
