The Parson's Handbook: Containing Practical Directions Both for Parsons and Others as to the Management of the Parish Church and Its Services ... the Book of Common Prayer

by Percy Dearmer

Excerpt from The Parson's Handbook: Containing Practical Directions Both for Parsons and Others as to the Management of the Parish Church and Its Services According to the English Use, as Set Forth in the Book of Common Prayer

I would therefore make a special plea to those who may think this book too elaborate, to ask themselves whether it may not be still of some little use to them, whether a church has any more right to be lawless because it is simple, or ugly because it is unadorned, and whether it would not advance both the credit and peace of our Church if we all tried more to con form to her directions.

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This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Genres: Religion

241 pages, Hardcover

First published January 28, 2009

About the author

Percival "Percy" Dearmer was an English priest and liturgist best known as the author of The Parson's Handbook, a liturgical manual for Anglican clergy. A lifelong socialist, he was an early advocate of the public ministry of women (but not their ordination to the priesthood) and concerned with social justice. Dearmer also had a strong influence on the music of the church and, with Ralph Vaughan Williams and Martin Shaw, is credited with the revival and spread of traditional and medieval English musical forms.

Reviews

[Jack Mullins]

I didn't expect to read a 90-year-old handbook for priests in the Church of England cover to cover, but here we are. It's certainly niche, but if it's your niche, it's a good read that holds up surprisingly well.

I read the 12th ed., published 1932.

Dearmer has a biting wit that adds a nice flavor to an otherwise dry subject. Here's one of my favorite zingers, from the chapter on baptism:

"Our rubric orders dipping unless the sponsors 'certify that the Child is weak', which they would no doubt generally do in these degenerate days."

[Adrian Sunman · Rating 5 out of 5]

My copy is dated 1912 and so predates the Proposed Prayer Book of 1928 which is referred to in later editions. Like many technical books of its type it's more one to dip into and mine for information than read from cover to cover and is, of course, of it's time. Much that Dearmer says though is still highly relevant and quite a lot of his guidance relating to Prayer Book services can easily be adapted for Common Worship. Maybe it's time someone attempted an updated edition.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very wise and helpful book for Anglicans who want a distinctive and beautifully God-honoring liturgy, yet are loyal to their church and have no desire to adulterate a perfectly good service with a imitation of the Roman Catholic Church that is as desperate as it is hopeless. This is indeed a handbook, and as with any good handbook there is an amount of detail that, when not immediately necessary, can have the tedious quality of reading some of the liturgical books of the Pentateuch; but all of it has its place (beyond some recommendations of merely contemporary interest, such as recommended shops to purchase apparel and liturgical gear!), and I presume it is very welcome to know when its place comes.