The Book of Common Worship of 1946
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The Book of Common Worship of 1946 was the third liturgical book of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and provided for more congregational participation than previous versions.
A two-year lectionary was included, with readings from the Old Testament, Epistle, Gospel and Psalm for each Sunday.
The 1946 book was more than a revision of its predecessors in 1906 and 1932. It was written at a time when serious discussions were taking place between the Presbyterian and Episcopal churches in the hopes that there would be recognition of each other's sacraments and ministry, and possibly full union. These discussions took place during the eleven years from 1937 until 1948, and thus influenced the writing of the Book of Common Worship of 1946. This led to one of the criticisms of the book, that it was more Anglican than Reformed. That the committee member who had prepared the eucharistic rite had received his Th.D. degree from an Episcopal seminary provided fuel for such criticism.
