The Divine Liturgy of Saint Tikhon of Moscow. A Russian Response
The Divine Liturgy of Saint Tikhon of Moscow. A Russian Response

Summary/Abstract: This study examines the response issued in 1904 by the commission appointed by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church to evaluate the liturgical and doctrinal content of the American Book of Common Prayer. The inquiry originated from Saint Tikhon of Moscow, who sought clarification regarding the possibility of receiving Anglican communities into Orthodoxy while preserving elements of their liturgical tradition. Focusing primarily on the order for Holy Communion in the 1892 edition of the Book of Common Prayer, the article analyzes the principal observations advanced by the Russian commission concerning the Eucharistic theology of the Anglican rite. Particular attention is given to three major issues identified by the commission: the insufficiently explicit affirmation of the Eucharistic change of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ, the inadequate expression of the sacrificial character of the Eucharist, and the lack of clear references to the Eucharist’s efficacy for both the living and the departed. By examining the commission’s arguments in dialogue with Anglican, Roman Catholic, and Byzantine liturgical sources, the study highlights both the strengths and limitations of the Russian critique. It further argues that the theological and liturgical concerns raised in 1904 played a decisive role in the later development of the Divine Liturgy of Saint Tikhon, a Western Rite Orthodox liturgy that sought to reconcile elements of the Anglican tradition with Orthodox sacramental theology. The article thus contributes to the study of Orthodox–Anglican relations and to the broader discussion concerning the reception and adaptation of Western liturgical traditions within Eastern Orthodoxy.

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