Gloria in Excelsis in Anglican Eucharistic Liturgy

The Gloria in Excelsis is a hymn of praise used in Anglican eucharistic worship, commonly known in English by its opening words, "Glory be to God on high." In Anglicanism it has been received as one of the ordinary texts of the Holy Communion service and is closely associated with the festive character of the Book of Common Prayer liturgy. Its place in the service has varied across prayer books, but its theological function has remained stable: it gives praise to the Father, confesses Jesus Christ as Lord and Lamb of God, and concludes in Trinitarian doxology.

Origins and text

The Gloria is an ancient Christian hymn whose opening line echoes the angelic song in the nativity narrative of the Gospel according to Luke. In the Western liturgical tradition it became part of the Mass on Sundays and feasts, though its use was historically restricted in some seasons and occasions. The text is sometimes called the "greater doxology," in distinction from the shorter Gloria Patri.

The English form used in the classical Prayer Book tradition begins, "Glory be to God on high, and in earth peace, good will towards men." The hymn then moves from praise of God the Father to direct prayer to Christ: "O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father." This structure makes the Gloria both a hymn and a confession of faith. It names Christ as the one who takes away the sins of the world, receives prayer, and is "most high in the glory of God the Father" with the Holy Ghost.

Because of this doctrinal density, the Gloria has often been understood as a sung summary of Christian worship. It holds together adoration, petition, and Christological confession without becoming a creed in the formal sense. Its use in Anglican worship therefore reflects the Prayer Book principle that common prayer teaches as well as expresses belief.

Prayer Book use

In the first English Book of Common Prayer of 1549, the Gloria appeared near the end of the Communion rite, after the reception of the sacrament and before the final blessing. This placement was retained in the 1552 revision and in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, where it follows the Lord's Prayer and post-communion prayers. In that form the hymn functions as a thanksgiving after communion, giving praise for the mercy received in the sacrament.

This post-communion position is one of the distinctive features of the classical Anglican rite. In many Western liturgies the Gloria stands near the beginning of the service, before the collect of the day. The Prayer Book order instead allows the congregation to sing or say the hymn after sacramental participation. The result is a movement from confession and absolution, through the ministry of the Word and communion, into praise.

Later Anglican liturgical revisions have often restored the Gloria to an earlier position in the eucharistic rite, especially in services influenced by the wider liturgical renewal movement. In such rites it is commonly used after the opening acclamation or Collect for Purity and before the collect of the day. Even where this order is adopted, the Gloria normally retains its festal character and may be omitted or replaced during penitential seasons such as Lent.

Theological significance

The Gloria expresses several themes central to Anglican eucharistic theology. First, it presents worship as praise offered to the triune God. The hymn begins with the Father, addresses the Son, and ends by naming the Holy Ghost. This makes it a doxological counterpart to the Trinitarian shape of baptismal and eucharistic prayer.

Second, the Gloria identifies the worship of the Church with the saving work of Christ. The title "Lamb of God" connects the hymn to biblical sacrificial language and to the eucharistic proclamation of Christ's death and resurrection. When placed after communion, this confession is heard as thanksgiving for the benefits of Christ received by faith. When placed near the beginning of the rite, it prepares the assembly to hear the Word and approach the Table in praise.

Third, the Gloria shows how Anglican liturgy uses inherited texts in reformed worship. The English Prayer Books did not discard this ancient hymn, but translated and ordered it within a vernacular rite centered on Scripture, common prayer, and sacramental communion. Its continued use across Anglican provinces demonstrates the continuity of Anglican worship with the wider catholic tradition, while its particular placement in classical Prayer Books marks a recognizable Anglican inheritance.

References

• The Book of Common Prayer (1549).
• The Book of Common Prayer (1662).
• Marion J. Hatchett, Commentary on the American Prayer Book.