Book of Common Prayer (1552)

The 1552 Book of Common Prayer, also called the Second Prayer Book of Edward VI,^[1] was the second version of the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) and contained the official liturgy of the Church of England from November 1552 until July 1553. The first Book of Common Prayer was issued in 1549 as part of the English Reformation, but Protestants criticised it for being too similar to traditional Roman Catholic services. The 1552 prayer book was revised to be explicitly Reformed in its theology.

During the reign of Mary I, Roman Catholicism was restored, and the prayer book's official status was repealed. When Elizabeth I reestablished Protestantism as the official religion, the 1559 Book of Common Prayer—a revised version of the 1552 prayer book—was issued as part of the Elizabethan Religious Settlement. It was this pattern which formed the basis for the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, which remains the official liturgical book of the Church of England.^[2]