Топос ‘встреча с православием ведет к преображению’ в периодических изданиях Польской православной церкви
The ‘Encounter with Orthodoxy Leads to Transformation’ Topos in Media Publications of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church

Summary/Abstract: The paper examines the literary topos of an ‘encounter with Orthodoxy leading to transformation’ as it appears in media publications of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church between 1989 and 2015. An encounter is understood here as an acquaintance with spiritual practices, contact with a spiritual figure, or even a dream that acquires symbolic significance. Such encounters may be accidental or planned, desired or imposed. Likewise, the topos of individual transformation is expressed through various spiritual – and sometimes even physiological – changes. A typical example of religious transformation is a healing that inspires a person to embrace Orthodox Christianity or, conversely, a healing that follows the acceptance of faith. Transformation also includes gaining a deeper understanding of Eastern Orthodoxy, progressing to a new spiritual stage, renewing one’s faith, or overcoming doubts about the truth of Orthodoxy. The material is drawn from the periodicals Przegląd Prawosławny, Polski Żołnierz Prawosławny, Cerkiewny Wiestnik, and Wiadomości Polskiego Autokefalicznego Kościoła Prawosławnego. The author concludes that the presence of the ‘encounter leading to transformation’ topos is not determined by the genre features of the publications or by their immediate content. Neither the time nor the location of the events described influences the appearance of this topos.

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