{"product_id":"the-book-of-common-prayer-a-biography-9780691191782","title":"The \"book of Common Prayer\": A Biography","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHow \u003ci\u003eThe Book of Common Prayer\u003c\/i\u003e became one of the most influential works in the English language\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhile many of us are familiar with such famous words as \"Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here. . .\" or \"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust,\" we may not know that they originated in \u003ci\u003eThe Book of Common Prayer\u003c\/i\u003e, which first appeared in 1549. Like the words of the King James Bible and Shakespeare, the language of this prayer book has saturated English culture and letters. Here Alan Jacobs tells its story. He shows how \u003ci\u003eThe Book of Common Prayer\u003c\/i\u003e--from its beginnings as a means of social and political control in the England of Henry VIII to its worldwide presence today--became a venerable work whose cadences express the heart of religious life for millions.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAlan Jacobs\u003c\/b\u003e is Distinguished Professor of the Humanities in the Honors Program at Baylor University. His books include \u003ci\u003eOriginal Sin: A Cultural History\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Princeton University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50626566390034,"sku":"9780691191782","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_ba9ab4d6-82ac-4b93-92b3-9caa990e99de.jpg?v=1732661557","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-book-of-common-prayer-a-biography-9780691191782","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}