Liturgical Purposes Research Articles

Analysis of scientific research on the sacred art of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukrainian territories

The aim of this study is to review the multi-volume scientific publications and monographs (single and collective) from 1993-2021 that examine the sacred art of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukrainian territories. The methodology and specifics of the main works are clarified, and problematic issues and difficulties encountered by researchers during their work are identified. Methodology. The study employs an integrated approach that utilises scientific analysis methods such as systematisation and generalisation. It also combines historical, cultural, art historical, and theological methods. This approach is appropriate, considering the liturgical purpose of sacred art and the requirements set by the Catholic Church based on the Holy Scriptures. Research results. A review of scientific works in multi-volume publications, as well as individual monographs, suggests that the sacred art of the Roman Catholic Church in Western Ukraine was formed over many centuries. Researchers have studied over 500 shrines and tens of thousands of liturgical items of significant historical, cultural, and artistic value. Renowned scholars, including Jan K. Ostrowski, A. Betlej, T. Zaucha, K. Brzezina, P. Krasny, R. Quirini-Poplawski, J. Petrus, S. Lenartowicz, M. Biernat, M. Walczak, J. Skrabski, M. Kurzej, R. Nesteruw, T. Kukiz, and others (Polish edition), M. Buchek, I. Sedelnyk (Polish, Ukrainian edition), D. Antoniuk (Ukrainian edition), and others, conducted a comprehensive study, inventory, and attribution of these monuments. Scientific novelty. The obtained results highlight the challenges of studying sacred art monuments in Ukraine during the specified period. The specifics and methodology used by Ukrainian and foreign scholars in scientific research are identified through multi-volume scientific publications and monographs (individual and collective). Recommendations. Further historical, cultural, and art historical research is required to complement previous publications and enhance our understanding of the specifics of sacred art, particularly painting. This research will also reveal the methodology and technology used in creating these monuments. It is crucial to preserve these sacred monuments from destruction, especially during the period of military invasion by the Russian Federation since 24 February 2022

Sacral Art of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine under Scientific Research (1993-2021)

The aim of this study is to review the multi-volume scientific publications and monographs (single and collective) from 1993-2021 that examine the sacred art of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukrainian territories. The methodology and specifics of the main works are clarified, and problematic issues and difficulties encountered by researchers during their work are identified. Methodology. The study employs an integrated approach that utilises scientific analysis methods such as systematisation and generalisation. It also combines historical, cultural, art historical, and theological methods. This approach is appropriate, considering the liturgical purpose of sacred art and the requirements set by the Catholic Church based on the Holy Scriptures. Research results. A review of scientific works in multi-volume publications, as well as individual monographs, suggests that the sacred art of the Roman Catholic Church in Western Ukraine was formed over many centuries. Researchers have studied over 500 shrines and tens of thousands of liturgical items of significant historical, cultural, and artistic value. Renowned scholars, including Jan K. Ostrowski, A. Betlej, T. Zaucha, K. Brzezina, P. Krasny, R. Quirini-Poplawski, J. Petrus, S. Lenartowicz, M. Biernat, M. Walczak, J. Skrabski, M. Kurzej, R. Nesteruw, T. Kukiz, and others (Polish edition), M. Buchek, I. Sedelnyk (Polish, Ukrainian edition), D. Antoniuk (Ukrainian edition), and others, conducted a comprehensive study, inventory, and attribution of these monuments. Scientific novelty. The obtained results highlight the challenges of studying sacred art monuments in Ukraine during the specified period. The specifics and methodology used by Ukrainian and foreign scholars in scientific research are identified through multi-volume scientific publications and monographs (individual and collective). Recommendations. Further historical, cultural, and art historical research is required to complement previous publications and enhance our understanding of the specifics of sacred art, particularly painting. This research will also reveal the methodology and technology used in creating these monuments. It is crucial to preserve these sacred monuments from destruction, especially during the period of military invasion by the Russian Federation since 24 February 2022.

The Semantic and Artistic Evolution of Images of Nicholas the Wonderworker. Russia and the West

In the article, devoted to the research of the image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, the author focuses on new trends in the study of ancient Russian art and, above all, in the study of architectural monuments, "minor forms" of liturgical purpose and plastics. The author especially emphasises that at the present stage, the issue of content, the connection of form formation with the structure of symbolic thinking within the cultural space of the era is actively brought to the fore. In this regard, the work of Pavel Florensky, The Church Ritual as a Synthesis of the Arts, is perceived as a program work, proving that church space and each object, regardless of its size and sacred significance, originally formed a single whole. From these positions, it is necessary to study the monuments of ancient Russian plastic art, approaches to the interpretation of which need to be clarified. The material is truly huge and varied: from small plastics in the form of miniature carved icons, folds and panagias to monumental kiot statues, gravestone sculptural images, white stone and wooden crosses. It is in this context that the author explores the evolution of the images of Nicholas the Wonderworker, who is especially revered by the Orthodox Church and particularly in Russia. Analysing the scientific facts in the article, the author argues that the shrine resting in the crypt (the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker) more than once became a living source of many legends, iconographic versions, customs in the veneration of the saint and, most importantly, structural icon models for Russia during the 14th-18th centuries. Apparently, it is no coincidence that in most churches with revered wooden statues of the saint, the main celebrations of St. Nicholas fell precisely on May 9 - in memory of the Translation of the Relics to Bari. Keywords: Nicholas the Wonderworker, relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker, wooden sculpture, medieval painting, sacred image, Bari.

Византийские железные процессионные кресты восточной Таврики

Introduction. A special category of Byzantine Christian liturgical objects is the iron crosses with an elongated lower beam. Scientists have established that they were used by the population of the provincial-Byzantine settlements of southern Taurica for a variety of liturgical purposes. Based on this, almost all discovered objects are divided into types and produced in a relatively narrow chronological framework. For eastern Taurica, such products were not analyzed and were not compared with southern coastal materials, which make this work relevant. The source base of the work consists of 8 iron crosses, which could not be used as pectoral. Five different-time products were recorded during excavations of medieval Sugdeja. Two objects were found during excavations of the Otuzy 2 settlement (8th – 10th centuries) on the border of the Sudak and Feodosia regions. One cross comes from excavations of the settlement of Artesian in the Leninsky district. Only three of these crosses are published. Methods and materials. Standard methods of comparative stylistic analysis were used. Analysis. A careful analysis of the archaeological contexts of object discovery and the most striking analogies allow us to distinguish several chronological groups that differ in both morphology and origin. Results. The obtained data allow us to distinguish three chronological groups of crosses from the turn of the 9th – 10th centuries and until the first half of the 15th century. All of them differ not only in morphological features, but also in functional purpose. Despite this, most of the iron crosses considered could be used as processional crosses.

Нотированная рукопись как «открытый текст»

The scientific concept of "open text" (U. Eco) is applicable to various humanities, including musical medieval studies, primarily to ancient Russian singing manuscripts. The liturgical purpose does not contradict the introduction of additions and corrections in the syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic fields of them at all stages of the work, as well as after its completion. The updates ("ponowlenija") affect on the one hand, the structure of each manuscript, on the other – its hymnographic and singing texts highlighted for consideration in this article. They relate directly to the notated texts, which in their original presentation (without updates) appear as complete chants, and open, if we consider all the updates introduced into it later by the author of the manuscript or subsequent masters. At the same time the completeness of the chant and its openness do not contradict each other; both variants can be chosen for performance. In the article, the features of the plaintext are considered on the example of the manuscript of the 16th century of the collection of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra of the Russian State Library No. 420, demonstrating the active work on it of both the author and subsequent masters. The introduction of new elements concerns, in addition to the structure of the manuscript, the writing out of variants of the hymnographic text, the inclusion of new chants in place of existing or absent ones from the author of the manuscript; the use of unusual neumes, not characteristic of znamenny notation in general; the designation of "superfluous" chants; the "programming" of improvisational updates, in particular, in the genre of the "Mnogoletija (Perennial). Many aspects of additions and transformations allow us to speak about the active creative work of the masters with ancient Russian hymnographic and musical texts, the openness of which provided an infinite wealth of chants.

Liturgy and Biblical Interpretation: The Sanctus and the Qedushah by Sebastian Selvén

Reviewed by: Liturgy and Biblical Interpretation: The Sanctus and the Qedushah by Sebastian Selvén Michael Gabizon sebastian selvén, Liturgy and Biblical Interpretation: The Sanctus and the Qedushah (Reading the Scriptures; Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2021). Pp. viii + 233. $55.99. Sebastian Selvén's monograph is part of the Reading the Scriptures series published by Notre Dame Press, a series that explores the intersection between biblical studies and theology. S.'s contribution to the series focuses on the role of liturgy in the broader field of reception history; as he writes, "Liturgy is, among other things, an experienced biblical interpretation" (p. 2). Through an assessment of Isa 6:1–5 in the Qedushot and the Sanctus,S. demonstrates how the study of liturgy provides a lens through which to view historical interpretive traditions (i.e., how certain Scriptures have been understood by different communities) as well as how liturgy continues to shape contemporary interpretations of the text. Following a two-part introduction, in which S. explores the nature of liturgy as well as the structure of the Qedushot and the Sanctus, the next three chapters explore three interpretations [End Page 488] related to Isa 6:1–5 that have been influenced by liturgical traditions: the identity of the seraphim, the concept of holiness, and the divine presence of God. In chap. 1, S. argues that liturgy has largely shaped the conventional understanding that the seraphim from Isa 6:1–3 are celestial beings, thus resulting in the later creation of angelic hierarchies by religious communities. Following a textual analysis of the word "seraphim" in Scripture, whereby he demonstrates that the most consistent definition of the Hebrew word is "snakes," S. proposes that the identification of seraphim as angels was influenced by early Jewish liturgy. In Qedusha deYotzer, for example, Isa 6:1–3 is read alongside Ezekiel 1–3, which recounts Ezekiel's interaction with heavenly figures; this intertextual link requires some form of harmonization between the biblical texts (p. 32). In turn, S. argues that the connection between the two passages has affected the interpretation of Isa 6:1–3 and the study of angels generally: "The received understanding of what they [the seraphim] are has to a large extent been shaped by how they are presented in Jewish and Christian liturgy, and the theological background of these liturgies" (p. 31). S. further explores the development of angelology through both traditions, and he argues that the ramifications of grouping Isa 6:1–3 with Ezekiel 1–3 in Qedusha deYotzer continue to shape biblical interpretations of the seraphim today. Indeed, S. posits that the "resistance towards describing them [the seraphim] as serpents" reflects centuries of conditioned readings through church art and liturgical texts (p. 58). The example of the seraphim, then, reveals one way the study of liturgy develops our understanding of historical biblical interpretation: "Liturgy actualizes and prioritizes certain passages, strings them together in different ways, and in this kaleidoscopic reconfiguration of texts, certain meanings emerge from them" (p. 123). In chap. 2, S. focuses specifically on the thrice-holy cry of the seraphim, questioning whether this short pericope originally functioned as a celestial hymn to evoke awe, or as a warning to instill fear (p. 58). Although he argues that the purpose of Isa 6:3 is unclear, he proposes that the standard categorization of the thrice-holy cry as celestial liturgy originates from the very role of Isa 6:3 in Jewish and Christian traditions. In other words, since this passage is used for liturgical purposes in some religious communities, the qedusha became "something possessing its own ontological integrity: a liturgy, performed by the celestial beings, taking place in the heavens" (p. 70). In this case, S. again demonstrates how liturgical traditions shape biblical interpretation. S. also posits that the spotlight placed on Isa 6:3, and in turn the emphasis on "holy," has influenced theological movements in various traditions, including the holiness movement of the twentieth century (pp. 77–79). Since liturgies naturally determine which Scriptures become important or central for communities, they inevitably mold the theological movements who engage with such traditional readings. In chap. 3, S. discusses...

Clothing the New World Church: Liturgical Textiles of Spanish America, 1520–1820

Clothing the New World Church: Liturgical Textiles of Spanish America, 1520–1820

Wine and monasteries: Benedictine monasteries in Europe

ABSTRACT Food and drink play a key role in religion and often lie at the core of doctrines and dogmas, rituals and practices. Wine is not an exception. The relationship between wine and religion goes back in history. Wine culture was spread by Greeks and Romans trough all the Mediterranean countries. In Catholicisme, wine was (and still, is) used for liturgical purposes, as it is considered to become the blood of Christ during the Eucharist, becoming an important part of the liturgy. In the Middle Ages, in Europe, and thanks to pilgrimage routes like the ones to Santiago de Compostela, Rome or the Holy Land, monasteries spread throughout Europe, being the Benedictin one of the most important monastic order. Monasteries have also traditionally played an important role in the production of wine and oil, as both were used for rituals and religious rites. Still today in Europe, many monasteries continue to produce wine, becoming an important source of funding. Some of them have become attractions in wine tourism and several participate as visitor nodes on long-distance wine routes. This paper aims at exploring the actual connection between European Benedictine monasteries, wine and tourism. The main aim is to determine how many Benedectine monasteries still produce wine and to what extent they can create a strong proposal for developing wine tourism. The methodology used is based on a qualitative study. Only 18 out of 68 European Benedictine Monasteries produce alcoholic drinks, and only 5 of these produce wine. The 5 monasteries studied are placed in Italy (2), UK (1), Germany (1), and France (1). Data analyzed include aspects like the features of wine production and the services provided by each monastery regarding tourism. The tourist promotion, from both the monasteries and the region has been analyzed considering if monasteries are present in tourism promotion strategies. Results show that most of the monasteries analyzed have their own promotional tools however, there is not a clear strategy to promote them as an outstanding element in the regions or tourist destination.

Functional significance of the Slavic translations of the Liturgy of the Apostle James in the 16th–17th centuries

The article is devoted to the problem of clarifying the practical purposes of using the manuscripts of the Liturgy of the Apostle James in the 16th–17th centuries, their applied significance. This period is characterized by the appearance of a huge number of Slavic manuscripts containing the text of the Liturgy of the Apostle Jacob. At the same time, we are talking not only about the number of manuscripts, but also about the presence of several translation options for the texts contained in these manuscripts. Based on an analysis of the historical situation in the context of interfaith polemics, an attempt was made to identify the place and role of the texts (or translations) of the Liturgy of the Apostle James and their functional purpose in the processes of confessionalization of the 16th–17th centuries. As a result of an analysis of the composition of manuscript texts containing translations of the 16th century, arguments were formulated in favor of the mainly polemical use of the Liturgy of the Apostle James in the active liturgy in the 16th–17th centuries anti-Latin, sometimes anti-Protestant polemic. The identified indirect evidence makes it possible to argue that the ministry of the Liturgy of the Apostle James in the second half of the 17th century was unknown in Russia. Undeniable arguments in favor of the fact that the full Slavic translations of the Liturgy of the Apostle James were used during the specified period for liturgical purposes have not yet been found.

The Church on the Hill in Schäßburg/Sighişoara. A Jewel of Architecture and Art-History on a Marginal Spiritual-Liturgical Existence

Abstract The Evangelical Church C. A. in Romania has an impressive treasure trove of churches of cultural and art-historical value in Transylvania. One of the most important sacred buildings is the Church on the Hill in Schäßburg/Sighisoara. But although it is a liturgically important space, it has served other purposes over and over again in the course of history. The fact that the Evangelical community became very small after 1989 brought with it the challenge of using this place of worship adequately. In the last few decades – i with the inclusion of the old town of Schäßburg on the list of UNESCO as a World Heritage Site – the Church on the Hill has become a tourist magnet. Culture lovers can listen to contemplative organ concerts. Due to the epidemiological situation, it now serves more and more liturgical purposes.

Righteousness as a Precursor to National Greatness in Proverbs 14:34 and its Relevance for Nigerian Socio-Economic Development

A major theme in the Bible which also is the focal point of Proverbs 14:34, is righteousness. It is like a recurring decimal in the preaching of ministers in most church denominations in Nigeria. They especially do this when they emphasise its significance and the detriment of sin in determining the status or position of a nation which are reflected in its being exalted or reproached. Features that enhance the worth of a nation, righteousness or sin are portrayed in the biblical text for this paper and in other cognate texts. The socio-economic situation in Nigeria calls for urgent attention as people live in poverty and painfully below life expectation. Existing studies on Prov. 14:34 have focussed more on the spiritual interpretation of the text, mainly for devotional and liturgical purposes. They did not focus on critical exegetical consideration of how such features could be viable catalysts for socioeconomic development in the Nigerian context. This is the rationale for this work, and the contribution it will make to existing knowledge. The descriptive method of interpretation is adopted for this work. The study is premised on Giovanni E. Reyes’ Modernisation Theory which he defines as a systematic process to move underdeveloped societies to an advanced and productive level of development. The Modernisation Theory stresses the importance of political development vis-a-vis the improvement of a nation’s socio-economic condition; it also emphasises cultural reforms. Righteousness in this text, when read from and applied to the current national and socio-economic reality of Nigeria, hopefully, will stem the current lamentable socio-economic situation in the nation.

Rola komentatora liturgicznego w ramach posługi słowa i jego formacja biblijna

W niniejszym artykule została przeprowadzona refleksja nad rolą komentatora liturgicznego w ramach posługi słowa, na którą składały się kwestie związane z udziałem osób świeckich w posłudze słowa i pomocniczą rolą świeckich w liturgii słowa (1), homilią i komentarzem liturgicznym przed czytaniami (2) oraz formacją biblijną komentatorów (3). Została ukazana pomocnicza rola komentatora liturgicznego przygotowującego komentarz przed czytaniami wobec kaznodziei głoszącego podczas liturgii homilię, która jest przepowiadaniem misterium Chrystusa. Zwrócono uwagę na kerygmat, który powinien być zasygnalizowany przez komentarz i obwieszczony przez homilię. W formacji biblijnej komentatorów zaproponowano lectio divina jako metodę przygotowującą do interpretacji słowa Bożego w liturgii. Została ukazana pomocnicza rola komentatora liturgicznego przygotowującego komentarz przed czytaniami wobec homilisty, głoszącego podczas liturgii homilię, która jest przepowiadaniem misterium Chrystusa. Zwrócono uwagę na kerygmat, który powinien być zasygnalizowany przez komentarz i obwieszczony przez homilię. W formacji biblijnej komentatorów zaproponowano lectio divina jako metodę przygotowującą do interpretacji słowa Bożego w liturgii. Słowa kluczowe: komentator liturgiczny, posługa słowa, formacja biblijna

Cross Scripts: Inscribing Hebrew into Jewish American Literature

Abstract Most Jewish immigrants to America during the early 20th century arrived speaking Yiddish or Ladino and using Hebrew and Aramaic for liturgical purposes. When subsequent generations abandoned the first two languages, Hebrew and Aramaic were retained, used primarily for liturgy and rites of passage. Jewish American writers have often inserted Hebrew into their English texts by either reproducing the original alphabet or transliterating into Latin letters. This essay focuses on diverse strategies for representing liturgical Hebrew with an emphasis on the poetic, thematic, and sociolinguistic aspects of these expressions of both home and the foreign. Hebrew transliteration is discussed for its literary (rather than phonetic) rendering, for its multilingual creative contact with the other languages and cultures of each narrative. Among the authors whose works are discussed are Philip Roth, Michael Chabon, Nathan Englander, Joshua Cohen, Achy Obejas, and Gary Shteyngart.

Hearing Religious Music. The Subject-Object Relationship of the Listener and the Piece of Music in a Consumption Era

Abstract In a concert hall, the attitude of the audience focusses on the formalistic aspects of music. In religious rituals, music is a means of leading the hearer to a spiritual experience. What happens when music, meant originally for a liturgical purpose, is played in a concert setting? Gadamer shows, with his conception of Verwandlung ins Gebilde, that an art work is never static, but carries a depth in itself, which is connected to an artistic ingenuity throughout centuries. In this ‘depth’ lies the connection to the listener, which is broader than a mere aesthetical one. On the other hand, music in itself has a strong ‘theatrical’ side, which can easily surpass its contemplative aspect in consumer culture. It appears that this aspect, in combination with the formalistic-aesthetic approach of modern museum culture, of which concert culture is a part, made the hearer become almost ‘deaf ’ to the religious content; because a concert practice focusses primarily on entertaining the hearer, s/he is not able to engage in the music as a source of spiritual edification of the soul. Nevertheless, Gadamer’s conception of play makes us be aware that there will always be new, unexpected ways in which the truth comes into being in the interaction of a piece of music and its hearer. In order to create such a reality, it is necessary to turn to new and renewing hearing practices, where the play between music and the hearer has a wider range of musical experience than the mere formalistic aspect.

ОКРЕМІ ПИТАННЯ ЩОДО ПРАВА ВЛАСНОСТІ НА МАЙНО РЕЛІГІЙНИХ ОРГАНІЗАЦІЙ

Стаття присвячена питанням права власності на майно релігійних організацій. Релігійний вплив на суспільне життя стає останнім часом усе більш відчутним як у його позитивних, так і в негативних проявах. Зростає інтерес до релігії, з’являються нові парафії, громади, місії різних релігійних напрямів. Тривалий час питання права власності вирішувалося аж ніяк не на користь релігійних організацій. Натепер у власності релігійних організацій можуть бути будівлі, земельні ділянки, об’єкти виробничого, соціального, благодійного, культурно-просвітницького та іншого призначення, в тому числі, які визначенні як історично-культурна пам’ятка. Майно, яке в своїй діяльності використовують релігійні організації, залежно від того, хто є власником, можна поділити на дві частини: майно, яким володіють на праві власності релігійні організації, та майно, яке належить на праві власності державі, іншим юридичним та фізичним особам. Необхідно звернути увагу на майно релігійного призначення, яке належить релігійним організаціям. Нерухомим майном релігійного призначення є: культові будівлі із земельними ділянками, які до них належать, монастирські та інші культові комплекси, побудовані для здійснення та забезпечення богослужінь, молитовних і релігійних зібрань, інших релігійних обрядів і церемоній, а також будівлі професійної релігійної освіти. Рухомим майном релігійного призначення є предмети інтер’єру культових будівель або предмети, призначені для богослужбових та інших релігійних цілей. Майно релігійного призначення використовується у відповідності до призначення та зумовлює особливий правовий режим – на рухоме і нерухоме майно богослужбового призначення не може бути звернено стягнення за претензіями кредиторів. Слід зазначити, що законодавець більш детально регулює питання щодо нерухомого майна релігійного призначення, визначаючи історичну та культурну цінність, а от щодо рухомого майна релігійного призначення є низка питань, які потребують подальшого урегулювання.

Visual rhetoric and terracotta shapes in Miguel Perrin’s reliefs for Seville Cathedral

Between 1519 and 1522, the Cathedral of Seville redesigned and finished its Northern and Eastern facades: the “old” Forgiveness gateway, and those of the Epiphany and the Entry into Jerusalem, with relief sculptures by Miguel Perrin. The present research focuses on the functional and liturgical purposes of all three gateways, it studies their messages and artistic sources, and offers new information on their design and the terracotta techniques employed.

16th Century single-leaf Woodblock Prints from the Ssanggyesa Temple in Eunjin

This study examines the single-leaf woodblock prints from the Ssangyesa Temple in Eunjin, which previously have not received much academic attention. Focusing on three prints from the Ssangyesa Temple, the iconography and context of publication of single-leaf woodblock prints in the 16th century were also explored. The single-leaf woodblock prints were made and published for the promulgation of Buddhist teachings, whose printing and distribution were considered a meritorious act. They were used either as amulets or for liturgical purposes of worship and prayer. Prints of Buddhas and bodhisattvas, or of preaching Buddha functioned as visual aids for worship or sutra-reading. The large number of woodblock prints made of a particular iconography is an evidence to the rise of a related worship. The three prints from Ssanggyesa Temple in Eunjin are definite examples of single-leaf Buddhist illustrations used for worship in the Joseon dynasty. Gwonsujeongeobwangsaengcheob gyeongdo, made in 1571, has writings that attest to its role as a visual aid when praying for rebirth in the Pure Land. The painting of Avalokitesvara bodhisattva was presumably also used for worship, as the two iconographies were produced as a set in many cases. However, there are also examples of Avalokitesvara paintings made independently of other works, making it possible to posit that it was made for artistic appreciation, as in the case of Buddhist drawings in the early Joseon. The painting of Tejaprabha Buddha, made in 1580, follows the tradition of a 1569 example in its composition and iconography, and shows similarities with a late Joseon example from 1644. It works as an important piece of puzzle in understanding the history of Tejaprabha Buddha paintings. Prayer to the Big Dipper, published at the Ssangyesa Temple around the same time as the painting, presents a possibility that the print was produced to be distributed to participants at an astrolatry event at the temple. Moreover, the iconographical changes also reflect a trend that emphasized the importance of the Big Dipper while that of the others were diminished.

Arabic-Afrikaans Literature at the Cape

Tuan Guru – the first official imam at the Cape – used Malayu as the medium of instruction in the Dorp Street madrasah (Muslim religious school) which he established at the end of the 18th century. This changed in the middle of the 19th century when Cape Dutch was adopted as the language of instruction. While the children were familiar with this language they could not read the Latin script since they were barred from attending the public schools. Cape Muslims could, however, read the Arabic script which they had to learn for liturgical purposes - though they could not speak Arabic. To overcome this conundrum, numerous scholars and teachers began to translate Arabic texts into Cape Dutch and then transcribing these in the Latin script. These “readers” came to serve as official textbooks in the madrasahs at the Cape. This article traces the development of this genre of literature which came to be known as Arabic-Afrikaans, comments on manuscripts that were identified by Adrianus van Selms, Achmat Davids and Hans Kähler and highlights the daunting challenge of transcribing Afrikaans phonetically in the Arabic script.

The Prayer in the Composition of the Synodal Manuscript of Hilarion's Works

Among the issues that have been subject to much controversy during almost two centuries of scholarly research on the works of the Kievan metropolitan Hilarion, there is the question of whether his Prayer is a separate composition or the final part of the Sermon on Law and Grace. This question has been triggered by the fact that the Prayer has been preserved mostly in manuscripts (over 20) which do not contain the Sermon on Law and Grace, the only, but very important, exception being the Synodal codex (Moscow, SHM, Syn. 591, 2nd half of the 15th century), in which the Prayer is part of a cycle of Hilarion’s works, along with the Sermon on Law and Grace, the Encomium to Volodimir (usually viewed as part of the Sermon on Law and Grace), the Confession of Faith and Hilarion’s final entry reporting his enthronization. We adduce considerable evidence in favour of a close cohesion between the Prayer and the Sermon on Law and Grace along with the Encomium to Volodimir, and try to show that these works form a meaningful whole. Text-critical and linguistic data presented in the article demonstrate the unique integrity of the original text of the Prayer in the Synodal codex, which testifies to the close affinity of this manuscript with Hilarion’s protograph. This is an additional argument in support of the view that the cycle of texts presented in the Synodal codex was composed by Hilarion himself. The analysis of the contents of the Prayer leads to the conclusion that it was intended not so much for liturgical purposes, but was rather a poetical manifestation of the same ideas which Hilarion elaborated in the Sermon on Law and Grace and the Encomium to Volodimir in the form of encomiastic treatise and eulogy, respectively. Adding the Prayer to these compositions was part of the artist’s intention, aiming at producing a complex of texts united by a common ideologic and literary objective.

Legislation on religious associations as a factor in ensuring freedom of religion

Legislation regulating the process of creating, recognizing and registering relevant legal entities is an important means of ensuring the existence of the majority of religious communities in the modern legal context. Most of the existing religious communities in different countries seek to register and be recognized, because only this gives them the opportunity to take advantage of this status in this way. The specific set of rights associated with this status varies depending on the legal system, as well as on the specific type of legal entity within each system. However, in the modern world, a group that does not have the status of a legal entity is at least extremely difficult to undertake simple legal actions, in particular, such as opening a bank account, renting or purchasing premises for worship or other religious activities, entering into contractual relations, the opportunity to speak in the court as a plaintiff or a defendant (that is, the protection of the organization’s rights by going to court and the right to be subject to a lawsuit), and so on. These problems are especially important for large organizations that need to build and maintain many buildings for liturgical purposes, develop a network of pastoral care and create charitable and educational services and in such a way that all these activities are consistent with their deep-seated religious beliefs.