A French word meaning “rebirth,” it refers to a period – late 14th to 17th centuries – in European civilization that was marked by a revival of Classical learning and wisdom. The Renaissance saw many contributions to different fields, including new scientific laws, new forms of art and architecture, and new religious and political ideas.
Divine Right
A political doctrine that asserted that kings derived their authority from God and could not therefore be held accountable for their actions by any earthly authority. Henry VIII’s decision that the English church should separate from Rome, was implemented under the rule of the king as God’s deputy on earth .
Fractious Anthem
The anthem at the fraction, sometimes called the confractorium, a term borrowed from the Ambrosian rite. The BCP prints two anthems but permits others. Rite 1 prints both Pascha nostrum (Christ our Passover) (adapted from a similar anthem in the 1549 Prayer Book) and Agnus Dei (O Lamb of God). It allows either or both or another suitable anthem. Rite 2 prints only “Christ our Passover” (BCP, p. 364). Another suitable anthem may be used in place of or in addition to the printed one. The BOS gives fifteen anthems for various seasons and occasions. Several of these anthems are set to music in The Hymnal 1982. The “confractoria” may be said or sung, responsively or in unison. In many places the choir or a cantor sings the anthem, sometimes responsively with the people, while the presider breaks the bread.
Sanctus
From the Latin for “holy,” a hymn of adoration and praise which begins, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts.” It typically follows the preface in the eucharistic prayer and is sung or said by the celebrant and people. The Sanctus is based on the song of the seraphim as recorded in Isaiah’s vision of the Lord in the year King Uzziah died (Isaiah 6:1-3). The Sanctus has been accompanied by bells since the fifteenth century in some places.
