ABSTRACT
This chapter examines responses to change, and shows that it is not only monarchs who are perplexed by it. Both English and New Zealand respondents show a slight majority in favour of the principle that the language of worship should 'remain constant', whereas the responses to 3K show a majority in favour of regular change. The evidence of Common Worship Eucharistic Prayers Survey (CWEPS) shows that, for some, the use of contemporary language in liturgy does not necessarily lead to a representation of doctrine more satisfactorily attuned to the modern era. Inclusive language applied to human beings and to God is only one aspect of the transition from traditional to contemporary language, although it is a feature which has received a great deal of popular attention. The perceived loss of common worship in the second sense is a more complex matter and needs to be addressed at greater length.
