Liturgical Books Research Articles

Textual studies of the era of big data and neural networks

This article analyses the emergence of new technologies for working with big data which can be highly helpful to philologists, studying the diachronic development. First of all, that applies to the study and publication of Old Russian manuscripts with traditional liturgical texts used for church service. These manuscripts existed in a huge number of folios, and in the process of copying were subjected to considerable textual unification. That makes it very difficult to study them by the laborious methods of traditional textual criticism. Now, when the full text of the monuments can be automatically processed, the creation of the Linguistic intellectual environment (LIE) has been lounged. This tool will provide new opportunities for the study of Slavonic liturgical texts from different historical periods. As a result, we will create a corpus of liturgical texts of the 11th–17th centuries, obtained using a program for automatic text recognition of manuscripts, with annotation und search module. The user of the LIE will be able to receive a complete list of variant readings for each fragment of a liturgical book of the widest range of manuscripts. In fact, we are talking of a new type of publication of traditional liturgical texts, when the user can set the parameters for the edition in accordance with his research interests.

Словарь речений из богослужебных книг прот. А. И. Невоструева (понасилую — посредѣ)

The “Dictionary of Locutions from Liturgical Books” by Protopriest A. Nevostruev, completed in the middle of the 19th century and never published, can be regarded both as a significant achievement of Church Slavonic studies and as a valuable lexicographic source. The manuscript is kept in the Russian State Library. The decrepit state of the manuscript has determined the necessity of its urgent study and edition. The significance of this project is primarily due to the fact that the text of the dictionary is being made accessible to linguists for the first time. The orthography and grammar of the dictionary reflect the linguistic views of the time of its creation and can be of interest for those who study the history of Russian linguistics. This paper contains the 6th part of dictionary entries beginning in letter P. The characteristic features of the publication of this Dictionary, the lists of sources, abbreviations and symbols were described in detail in the previous issues of St. Tikhon’s University Review. All previously published parts of the Dictionary together with the critical apparatus can be found at the website of St. Tikhon’s University for the Humanities.

“Unity and Refinement”. Paths and Quests for Organizational and Ceremonial Unity in the First Half of the 20th Century

This article explores the efforts of the Hungarian Reformed Church in the first half of the 20th century to achieve uniformity and refinement in its worship practices. The desire for a unified Hungarian Reformed worship service had been a hallmark of previous centuries, leading to a long journey of development in the 20th century. The standardization of the liturgical praxis aimed to create a sense of shared identity and eliminate historical variations in regional worship practices and customs. The movement for liturgical unity had been ongoing for centuries, with earlier attempts including church district agendas published in the 19th century. The publication of the Liturgical Book [Istentiszteleti Rendtartás] in 1930, which is the first official Agenda for the whole Reformed Church in Hungary, marked a culmination of efforts towards liturgical unity. The paper highlights the tension between achieving uniformity and preserving diversity within a religious tradition. Keywords: liturgics, history of liturgy in the Reformed Church in Hungary, liturgical book, 20th century, worship practices

Fragments of the Liturgical-Musical Codex from the Archdiocesan Archive of Gniezno (Poland): Source Analysis and Provenance Hypotheses

This paper discusses hitherto unidentified loose folios of a parchment liturgical and musical book held in the Archdiocesan Archive of Gniezno (Poland), containing the offertory and communion antiphons for the feasts De Trinitate and Corpus Christi. The author provides the codicological description of the leaves (analyzing Latin script, musical notation, ornamentation); identifies the time of their creation (15th century); indicates the type of the liturgical book to which they belong (graduale); seeks a melodic model for them and puts forward provenance hypotheses. He states that the melodics of the antiphons, although closest to the Cistercian tradition, are nevertheless variantly different from the melodic line preserved in foreign and Polish codices. It is possible to narrow down the dating of the leaves thanks to the type of Latin script, the calligraphic ornamentation of the initials and the spelling of certain letters.

Zamość Style Unification: Liturgicon and Euchologion in the Basilian Monasteries of the Lviv Eparchy in Second Half of the 18th Century

The paper studies the problem of the unification of the liturgical books in the Basilian monasteries of the Lviv eparchy in the second half of the 18th century. Research concentrates on the problem of Zamość council resolution implementation by analyzing the “church books” in the monasteries of Basilians. Investigating the “book lists” from inventory descriptions and protocols of visitations allows to trace changes in the monasteries concerning the “church books” as it was fixed in the documents, a major part of which used for this research are from the Lviv archives. Among the main indicators of a certain liturgical tradition are the texts of the Liturgicon and the Euchologion. In the second half of the 18th century, the presence of Univ and Pochaiv Liturgicon and Euchologion was selective since we do not have data for all decades for all monasteries. At the same time, such an analysis allows tracing a clear tendency – the full-fledged unification of liturgical literature in Basilian monasteries can be noted at the start of the 1760s.

Словарь речений из богослужебных книг прот. А. И. Невоструева (позвизданїе — помѣстный)

The “Dictionary of Locutions from Liturgical Books” by Protopriest A. Nevostruev, completed in the middle of the 19th century and never published, can be regarded both as a significant achievement of Church Slavonic studies and as a valuable lexicographic source. The manuscript is kept in the Russian State Library. The decrepit state of the manuscript has determined the necessity of its urgent study and edition. The significance of this project is primarily due to the fact that the text of the dictionary is being made accessible to linguists for the first time. The orthography and grammar of the dictionary reflect the linguistic views of the time of its creation and can be of interest for those who study the history of Russian linguistics. This paper contains the 4th part of dictionary entries beginning in letter P. The characteristic features of the publication of this Dictionary, the lists of sources, abbreviations and symbols were described in detail in the previous issues of St. Tikhon’s University Review. All previously published parts of the Dictionary together with the critical apparatus can be found at the website of St. Tikhon’s University for the Humanities.

Some Lessons from the Medieval Reception of the Acts of Thecla in the Light of the Latin Manuscripts

The large number and wide geographic spread of the Latin manuscripts shows that the Acts of Thecla were widely known in the Middle Ages in spite of the negative views of Tertullian, Jerome and the Decretum Gelasianum. Included in liturgical books, among martyr passions and lives of saints, the story shaped the faith of monastic, clerical and church communities. This paper explores the extent to which the manuscript tradition preserves or modifies the difficult details of the writing: the encratic teaching of Paul, Thecla’s affection for the apostle, and in particular her baptism and teaching. The Latin manuscripts are essentially faithful to the narrative, including potentially difficult issues. However, some manuscripts tend to mitigate details and statements that seem problematic, to align Thecla’s deeds with conventional ecclesial teaching and practice.

Словарь речений из богослужебных книг прот. А. И. Невоструева (поглавно – поемлю)

The “Dictionary of Locutions from Liturgical Books” by Protopriest A. Nevostruev, completed in the middle of the 19th century and never published, can be regarded both as a significant achievement of Church Slavonic studies and as a valuable lexicographic source. The manuscript is kept in the Russian State Library. The decrepit state of the manuscript has determined the necessity of its urgent study and edition. The significance of this project is primarily due to the fact that the text of the dictionary is being made accessible to linguists for the first time. The orthography and grammar of the dictionary reflect the linguistic views of the time of its creation and can be of interest for those who study the history of Russian linguistics. This paper contains the fourth part of dictionary entries beginning in letter P. The characteristic features of the publication of this Dictionary, the lists of sources, abbreviations and symbols were described in detail in the previous issues of St. Tikhon’s University Review. All previously published parts of the Dictionary together with the critical apparatus can be found at the website of St. Tikhon’s University for the Humanities

Фиты в дореформенных и пореформенных списках нотированного Октоиха XVII в.

The article is devoted to a significant element of znamenny chant - fitnoy singing. It examines both the lettering and chanting of fitts in the notated Octoechos, in particular, how the general patterns of fitt singing are manifested in the Octoechos. This work shows that the use of fit in the chants of the Octoechos does not depend directly on the genre of the chant, although certain regularities can be traced. In addition, the number of fits is distributed unevenly among the voices, just as in other books and in theoretical manuals - fitniki. At the same time, some fitas are repeated more than once within a vowel section. Comparison of lists close in time and type allows us to identify "author's" variants of the arrangement of fittas or chants of fittas, although in general variants of chants for fittas in the margins or in the banner line of Octoechos chants are rarely recorded. Special attention is paid to the degree of preservation of the chants in connection with the process of correction of liturgical books in the middle of the 17th century, which also affected notated manuscripts. In this connection the lists of the pre-reform, post-reform and transitional editions of the Octoechos are compared diachronically. The comparison shows that most of the fictional formulae were preserved in the process of correcting the notated Octoechos, and, as a rule, their location in the poetic text did not change either. These conclusions testify to the preservation of the tradition, which does not exclude the creative approach of the masters in some cases.

Prefiguration of the Nation: The Soteriology and Ecclesiology of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente in the Early 20th Century

Abstract The Iglesia Filipina Independiente was established in 1902, in the context of the US occupation of the Philippines. The church has become known for its outspoken emancipatory political stance in the course of the 20th century. Yet, in its early days, the church wrestled with the question how to negotiate the restrictions that had been imposed regarding explicit political agitation. This paper argues that the church found a way forward regarding this by developing a prefigurative self-understanding, according to which the church, in its self-organization, theology and liturgy, foreshadowed the future of the nation of the Philippines as a whole. The ecclesiology of the church became its political program. Using insights from the study of prefigurative politics, it is shown how this course of action becomes evident in the Iglesia Filipina Independiente’s publications, such as journals and liturgical books.

Liturgické a paraliturgické zpěvní knihy v nejstarších inventářích kostelů olomoucké diecéze

Within the framework of research on older book culture, which currently appears to be quite robust and is being carried out from the perspective of several different research disciplines, it is possible to identify certain less-explored areas or topics. This paper examines closely oldest known book inventories of diocesan churches in Moravia with an emphasis on so-called libri cantuales, books that were used for singing during the liturgy. The scope of examined inventories remains rather modest, analysed were lists of the Olomouc cathedral from the first half of the 15th century and inventories from parish churches in Boskovice and Brno from the second half of the 15th century. With a closer look, those inventories reveal besides the usual types of liturgical books also less frequented manuscripts, which contained for instance chant repertoire for the Holy Week. Detailed study of inventories brings also important clues and impulses in the field of fragmentology.

The ecclesiastical discipline of the celebration of marriage according to the books of the Roman Rite of 1962 after the Second Vatican Council according to the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum and Traditionis custodes


 
 
 Through Pope Benedict XVI’s motu proprio Summorum Pontificum of July 7, 2007, the universal law for use of the 1962 liturgical books entered into force, but under certain conditions. Bishops received the unrestricted right to use the Pontificale Ro- manum of 1961/62 in the celebration of marriage. Nevertheless, the use of the Rituale Romanum of 1952 by priests or deacons when assisting at marriages required the per- mission of the parson or rector of the church hosting the ceremony. In addition, mem- bers of the clergy whose communities received the special permission necessary from the Apostolic See or the local Ordinary could also participate as qualified witnesses in a marriage ceremony celebrated according to the earlier rites. However, since July 16, 2021, after the issuance of the motu proprio Traditionis custodes, celebrating a marriage according to the books of 1962 is only possible in personal parishes with the permission of the diocesan bishop. The local Ordinary can also authorise priests of communities that have the special right to celebrate the earlier rites to celebrate such marriages. During the celebration of marriage according to the books of 1962, the current Code’s discipline should be maintained, providing it does not violate the shape of the rites contained in these books.
 
 

Starodruki w księgozbiorze parafii św. Jana Chrzciciela w Bychawie

Although the parish of St John the Baptist in Bychawa is one of the oldest in the Lublin diocese, because its origins date back at least to the beginning of the 14th century, its library in the Old Polish period was very modest. This was caused by the following unfavourable historical conditions: the takeover of the church by Calvinists in the 16th century, difficulties with the restoration of the seized property, Cossack invasions, etc. For these reasons, until the end of the 17th century, the parish owned only necessary liturgical books, with the possible exception of those that had been donated by the parish priest Sebastian Piatkowski to his nephew as payment for his care in the 1930s; however, we have no detailed information about them. It was not until the 18th century that the book collection was enriched with non-liturgical books. These mainly included collections of sermons by Polish or foreign authors, maxims and prayer books, all serving pastoral work. Many of these books cannot be identified due to the general descriptions left by parish inspectors or damage to the codices. Most of the early printed books preserved to this day were possessed by private individuals, and a large number of them came from the libraries of monasteries liquidated after 1863. There are 29 of them, all basically in need of conservation.

Неизменяемые части служб суточного круга у сиро-яковитов

This article deals with the stable elements within the daily cycle of worship in the Western Syriac (Syro-Jacobite) tradition, namely, the initial and final prayer texts. Depending on a particular service, the composition of these “framing” prayers is heterogeneous; they can consist of either only a short sequence (“Trisagion to Our Father”) or a multi-layered complex (of psalms, prayer addresses, etc.). Since these texts (and their configuration in worship) represent for the most part an oral layer, not recorded specifically in liturgical books, their publication in the original language (classical Syriac), as well as my translation of them into Russian, carry a certain scientific novelty. The author offers an overview of the composition, order, place and performance of these prayers. Syriac and Arabic concepts associated with this oral tradition are introduced into scientific circulation. The article is based primarily on the information collected during my internship at the Mar Aphrem Syro-Jacobite Seminary in honor of St. Ephraim the in Maarat Sednaya (Syria) in 2020.

Празднование Нового года в Византии

Introduction. Many cultures consider the first day of the new year a holiday which supposes the performance of specific rituals and rites. The traditions of New Year celebrations reflect the nature of this or that civilization, its historical experience, and religious and world-viewing constants. The said is to the full extent actual for the Byzantine civilization. The purpose of the work is to reconstruct the general scenario of official celebrations, to trace its evolution, and to analyse the folk tradition related to it. Methods and materials. The main sources of the given research are liturgical books, treatises on ceremonies, and epistolography. Analysis. In Byzantium, the New Year was celebrated on September 1 at different levels: church, state, and public. Despite its origin from the laity, the Byzantines viewed this holiday primarily as religious as it opened both the new year cycle and the church calendar. By the tenth century, there developed the order of service (akolouthia) for the first day of the new year. The patriarch served special liturgies in St Sophia’s Church and performed a crucession. The emperor was not allowed to participate in the church rituals. In Late Byzantium, the climax of the New Year ritual was the public prayer made in the imperial capital, in the Forum of Constantine, in the presence of the emperor. The ceremonial protocol documented that the ruler must participate in the New Year service. The ordinary people of Byzantium widely celebrated this holiday, spending this day in going to church, paying visits, and exchanging greetings. Conclusions. The enlarging of the programme of palatial ceremonies with the emperor’s appearance in the New Year celebration shows, from the one hand, the strengthening of the secular component of the holiday and, on the other hand, the trend to sacralization of the palatial life. The comparison of the scenario of the New Year celebration that existed in the Age of the Palaiologoi with the official holiday on such a case in the pre-Petrine Russia shows an important Byzantine influence on Russian culture of celebration and church policy.

The liturgical service of the deacon during the performance of the Bishop's Divine Liturgy in accordance with the rubrics of the liturgical books

This study reveals the relevance of deacon service in the light of the modern challenges of the Church of the third millennium. As Pope Paul VI said, a deacon serves both God's people and the church hierarchy. Both for the local Church and for the community in the broader sense of the word. The deacon is a mediator who must announce the needs and desires of the people of God to the church hierarchy so that they can satisfy these spiritual and physical needs. At the Liturgy, the deacon acts as an angel of prayer, uniting the prayers and intentions of the assembled faithful both through incense and through numerous litanies at the Divine Liturgy. With liturgies, he takes the beauty and sophistication of liturgical prayers and translates them into petitions that can be understood by the faithful.

К вопросу о палеославистической терминологии

The focus of the paper is on the problem of the terminological designation of the first Slavonic written language, i.e. the language in which Cyril and Methodius in the 9th century translated from Greek the main liturgical books before going on a mission to Great Moravia, wherever it was. The logically contradictory nature of terms such as Russian “старославянский, церковнославянский, староцерковнославянский”, French “vieux slave”, German “Altkirchenslavisch”, etc. is demonstrated. The contradiction lies in the fact that the Bulgarian dialectal basis of the language of Cyril and Methodius’ translations is affirmed and denied at the same time. The authors, as a rule, overlook the fact that before the first translations of Cyril and Methodius, there was no Slavonic written tradition at all, which could immediately lead to a strong differentiation between the Slavonic bookish language and the Slavonic spoken language. Imprecise, or rather, ambiguous and sometimes vague terminology does not contribute to an objective description of reality. The reasons for the reluctance to give the language of Cyril and Methodius, i.e. the first written Slavonic language, the name that belongs to it by right, i.e. “the Old Bulgarian language”, lie outside the boundaries of proper linguistic science.

Словарь речений из богослужебных книг прот. А. И. Невоструева (плинѳа — повѣдатель)

The “Dictionary of Locutions from Liturgical Books” by Protopriest A. Nevostruev, completed in the middle of the 19th century and never published, can be regarded both as a significant achievement of Church Slavonic studies and as a valuable lexicographic source. The manuscript is kept in the Russian State Library. The decrepit state of the manuscript has determined the necessity of its urgent study and edition. The significance of this project is primarily due to the fact that the text of the dictionary is being made accessible to linguists for the first time. The orthography and grammar of the dictionary reflect the linguistic views of the time of its creation and can be of interest for those who study the history of Russian linguistics. This paper contains the second part of dictionary entries beginning in letter P. The characteristic features of the publication of this Dictionary, the lists of sources, abbreviations and symbols were described in detail in the previous issues of St. Tikhon’s University Review. All previously published parts of the Dictionary together with the critical apparatus can be found at the website of St. Tikhon’s University for the Humanities

Medieval Manuscripts at Loyola University Chicago

Abstract: This article provides a summary overview of the collection of pre-1600 western European manuscripts in Loyola University Chicago Archives & Special Collections. The collection presently comprises four manuscript codices, at least thirty-eight fragments, and four documents. The codices are a thirteenth-century book of hours from German-speaking lands; a fifteenth-century Dutch prayer book; a preacher's compilation written probably in southern Germany in the 1440s; and two fifteenth-century Italian humanist booklets, bound together since the nineteenth century, transmitting Donatus's commentary on the Eunuchus (incomplete) and an anthology of theological excerpts, respectively. The fragments consist of thirteen leaves from books dismembered by modern booksellers (most are from fifteenth-century books of hours) and a larger number of binding fragments, all but two of which remain in situ. These represent the remains of ten manuscript books: four Latin liturgical books, two texts of Roman civil law, one large-format thirteenth-century Italian Bible, one thirteenth-century copy of Ptolemy's Almagest in the translation of Gerard of Cremona, one late fourteenth-century copy of the Ockhamist Tractatus de principiis theologiae , and one fifteenth-century Dutch book of hours in the translation of Geert Grote. Many of these materials have remained unidentified until now.

"O Vere Bona et Sancta Crux": OSU.SPEC.RARE.MS.MR.Frag.450 and the Treasured Relics of the Sainte-Chapelle

Abstract: The single leaf from a fourteenth-century Dominican breviary recently donated to the Rare Books & Manuscripts Library at the Ohio State University can serve as the catalyst for exploration of subject matter that may be specific to Parisian liturgical books of the period, and for critical evaluation of the artistic influence of Jean Pucelle, Jean le Noir, their collaborators, and imitators. Cut from the sanctorale of the original codex, the folio contains both text and a historiated initial that tie it to the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. While the textual content adheres to the Dominican standards, the image is highly unusual, raising questions about its potential meaning for the devout reader. Seeing this subject in relation to extant images among fragments of the same parent breviary fortune has preserved in other collections, one may dare to speculate on the intentions of the individual responsible for the program of illustration, in an era of devotion to the cult of the recently canonized St. Louis.