John’s Passion: A new Rite 4 translation released
Trinity Press, an independent publisher in Washington, DC, has released a new translation of John’s Passion, the Gospel reading for Good Friday. Copies are available at www.TrinityPress.org.
John’s Passion is the first text to be released in the Rite 4 Lectionary, a project to translate the weekly Epistle and Gospel readings into accurate, idiomatic, and inclusive English. Notable features include:
• As in other Rite 4 texts, gender-neutral language is used for God—and is generally preferred for humans when an idiomatic expression is available. But gendered terms are retained as English idiom or historical resonance require, including for Jesus where the divine nature is not the focus.
• Greek Ioudaioi is translated with the ancient term, ‘Judeans’, rather than the modern one, ‘Jews’. In addition, in John the term is often omitted or, according to context, rendered with a functional equivalent (usually ‘high priests’, which John himself uses almost interchangeably with ‘Judeans’).
• The translation is based initially on the King James Version (KJV), but with extensive changes for accuracy, idiom, rhythm, and inclusive language. The translation is generally quite literal (formally equivalent), and usually tracks the Greek almost word for word, but functional equivalence (dynamic translation) is employed as deemed necessary or appropriate.
The translator, J.A. Frazer, commented, “The Rite 4 translations are based on the KJV, not because I’m a Neanderthal, but because the KJV is out of copyright. Still, it and the old RSV remain, aesthetically, the best English translations, and I’ve tried to retain the flavor even while making many essential (and a few other) revisions. This text is in draft, and specific suggestions are appreciated.”
As it is not currently authorized for general use, John’s Passion (as well as other Rite 4 translations to be issued) should be used liturgically only with the consent of the diocesan Bishop.
Trinity Press has also released December 2025 service booklets for Rite 4: An Experimental Liturgy for the Eucharist, Based on the Book of Common Prayer. These are available on the Trinity Press website.
Meticulously updating the Book of Common Prayer, Rite 4 offers inclusive, graceful texts and a flexible, modular framework for the Eucharist liturgy of the Episcopal Church. The Base Texts update historical BCP forms in an inclusive but fairly traditional idiom, while the Contemporary Texts are further adapted to contemporary language and sensibilities.
Services A & B present the Rite 4 texts under the rubrics of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. Service A presents the Contemporary Texts under the rubrics of Rite II, while Service B presents the Base Texts under the rubrics of Rite I. Either service may be used alone or as a menu of alternative texts to selectively replace the corresponding texts in a Rite II or Rite I service. In addition, corresponding words or phrases that differ in Services A & B may usually be exchanged between them, allowing limited customization of individual Rite 4 texts.
With the approval of their respective Bishops, two churches—St. Stephen & the Incarnation Episcopal Church, Washington DC, and St. John’s Episcopal Church, Gloucester, Mass.—have so far tried the Rite 4 texts in their Sunday worship services. Because the Rite 4 texts are not currently authorized for general use, they should be used liturgically only with the approval of the diocesan Bishop. A template for requesting such approval is on the Trinity Press website.
Trinity Press is a small independent publisher located in Washington DC; it is owned and operated by J.A. Frazer, a lay member of St. Stephen’s, DC. Book publication of Rite 4: An Experimental Liturgy for the Eucharist is expected in 2026 or 2027—but until then you can download free PDF booklets with the current forms of the Rite 4 texts, as well as other materials, on the Trinity Press website (www.TrinityPress.org).