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Romanos the Melodist, the greatest poet of Eastern Church, inspired by metric forms of Syrian spiritual literature created the most perfect Byzantine poetic genre – a Kontakion. This is a highly complex literary form which belongs to tonal and syllabic versification, with a distinctive metric scheme. A Kontakion is characterized by vivid description of biblical events, with plenty of extremely dramatized situations and well-developed monologues and dialogues. The parts which depict human character, passions and suffering are particularly impressive. However, the implications and messages of a Kontakion are not dark, but optimistic, owing to the fact that they are oriented towards human salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, repentance and hope for forgiveness. Romanos the Melodist’s hymns possess deep inner duality and apart from inspiring and motivating, they clarify, interpret and teach. As a knowledgeable and skillful interpreter of Holy Scripture, he gives an excellent exegesis through his heroes’ lines. The translated and analyzed Kontakion in this writing is one of the most successful and poetic Roman’s Kontakia. It is a masterpiece in respect of perfect metric units with a refrain and regular rhyme.
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Today’s Orthodox Francophone parishes in the West, primarily in the territory of France and Switzerland, are parishes whose believers are mainly Westerners who have received Orthodoxy and constitute separate parishes belonging to different jurisdictions. A significant part of these parishes belongs to Serbian Orthodox Church, while one part is out of unity and communication with any Orthodox Church.
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Based on the late Roman and early Christian catacombs and painting in considering the question of the reception and reinterpretation presentation of the martyrs in the Church art today. Research perspectives is based on the frescoes of the Church of the Holy Great Martyr Marine with a crypt of the martyrs of Livno.
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The aim of this article is to analyse the dynamics of religion-ethnicity relation in the Republic of North Macedonia. Special emphasis is placed on the current ethno-political tensions between Albanians and Macedonians and the use of religion and religious symbols in this collision, which is reflected both in the political discourse and in the everyday life and relationships, influencing perceptions and collective notions of people about religion and ethnicity. The findings show that the process of maintenance and shift of the ethno-religious boundaries is dynamic, multidirectional and multi-layered. It is influenced by domestic political, social, economic and cultural developments, international factors such as the EU and NATO accession of the country, as well as the spread of radical Islamic ideologies.
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On Orthodox icons Christ is represented with an halo on which we can see the inscription – Ὁ ὬΝ – He Who Is. Which theological foundations support this kind of iconographical depiction? How and why did the words by which God revealed Himself to the Old Testament Israel as He Who Is – Εγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν (Exodus 3, 14 LXX) appeared on Christ’s halo? How are this iconographical solution, Old Testament epiphanies and Christ connected? In the present article, we will try to show the assumptions which served as the basis of this understanding, more precisely the interpretation which would led to this kind of iconographical solution, i. e. which would justify this praxis inherent to Orthodox iconography.
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The paper deals with the study of genesis and the development of a specific philosophy based on patristic theology and aesthetics. Although this chapter of Russian culture is fairly written, the author thinks that a modern review is needed which will further confirm and outline the original lines of this school of thought. In order to define the concept and subject of visual art aesthetics in a specific time- historical context, it is necessary to point to the sources of inspiration on the basis of which Russian aesthetics developed their own system. These influences were more: from ancient, essentially pagan, philosophical cosmology, through Orthodox patristics, to the influence of German romanticism in culture and idealism in philosophy. As a result of these assumptions, a unique concept of the content of creature and figurative of the form – which is concerned with the philosophy of nature (cosmology) and philosophy of art (aesthetics) – has been formed – defining a Russian, religiously oriented, speculative thought to unite these themes. The author concludes that both are treated as ontological in Russian interpretation, and take on specific forms of a comprehensive gnoseology: “total- unity” and sophiology in the field of cosmology, as well as iconology and symbolism in the field of aesthetics.
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In this written work, the author has exposed the philosophy and the problem about the existence of evil and theodicy of a famous russian religious philosopher Nikolai Berdyaev. These problems are solved, from the point of view of one critical access acording to Orthodox- christian theology. At the very end of this study, this subject is exposed as it was seen by the eyes of Nikolai Berdyaev acording to his Orthodox- christian arguments.
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Researching my maternal ancestors in XVIII and XIX centuries church birth/marriage/ death registries of two oldest Serbian churches in Timişoara, I discovered an interesting language phenomenon. Namely, in those old church birth/marriage/ death registries certain number of persons is inscribed not just by his endearing (hypocoristic) name or shortened name (kurzname), but by completely other, so called secondary name, and some persons had double name or more names. Here I present the exemples which I’ve found. From those exemples the following models and submodels of personal name change in XVIII and XIX centuries Timişoara can be defined: 1) During lifetime, a person obtained one more name, e. g. Aron became Dimitrije Aron, which includes the situation when a person changed his faith, having thus two names, the old and new one, e. g. Avgustina Marija. 2) In christening, a person was given double name, e. g. Dimitrije-Georgije. 3) The name itself shortened from the end to shortened name (kurzname), homonymic to some other (full) name, e. g. Živana is shortened to Ana. 4) The name itself was transformed to its endearing (hypocoristic) name, e. g. Jeftimije became Jefta, and 5) The name itself through shortened name (kurzname) or its endearing (hypocoristic) namewas transformed to some other endearing (hypocoristic) name, e. g. Živana, obtained in christening, was shortened to Ana, and later transformed to Stana and Nasta. The conclusion is that in XVIII and XIX centuries Timişoara personal name wasn’t obligatory singular, nor unchangeable phenomenon, i. e. a person could be born with one name, and die with other name added, with other name or names, with shortened name or names (kurzname(n)), with endearing (hypocoristic) name or names or, on the other side, be born with double name. I think that this orthodox Serbs’ personal name doubling (whatever’s the maner it’s been done) should be attributed to linguistic influence of double name formula of Germans and Hungarians, which influnced the Romanian as well, thus in Romanian there’s phenomenon that a person can have double name. Though, it’s possible that this orthodox Serbs’ personal name doubling is connected with apotropaic function of protecting new-born from death.
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The beginning of Intercessory prayer clearly shows the purpose of the Liturgy for its participants. This prayer emphasizes that the Holy Communion is the aim for the members of the Church or, more precisely, for the participants of the liturgical community.
More...Шта о љубави кажу Свето Писмо и Свети Оци Православне Цркве?
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Among those who have studied church music, notation, and musical forms, a special place is occupied by musician hierarchs. This aspect can be encountered in all musical traditions of the Orthodox countries that have been under the direct influence of the Byzantine Empire. Romanian Principalities are meritoriously circumscribed by the rather large number of their hierarchs preoccupied with the world of sound. One of the first hierarchs with such musical training was Niceta of Remesiana, a prestigious exegete of religious singing and also a very good performer, the creator of the treatise De psalmodie bono after 413 AD, and a hierarch who introduced new vocabulary in the universal religious musicalanguage, such as canticum, cantio, cantare, chorus, and hymnus. Following the history timeline, we reach the end of the nineteenth century or rather, the beginning of the twentieth century, which was by far the most prolific period in terms of musical writings that emerged from the vast imagination of musician hierarchs. The most famous of these hierarchs, which are also outlined in this study, are Gherontie Nicolau, Nifon Niculescu and Evghenie Humulescu. Throughout this text, one can find biographical information, as well as a musical analysis of their creations, followed by elements of rhythmic and melodic structure, resulting in a fortunate inter-similarity within their works. This study also presents some unique musical examples found in various manuscripts originating from Gherontie Nicolau.
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The present study aims to highlight the concept of philanthropy in the writings of Saint Basil the Great, the manner in which it was materialized during the lifetime of the Great Cappadocian Father and its relevance for the mission of the Orthodox Church in contemporary society. The main themes which the sermons of Saint Basil the Great have approached refer to the man as a social being and philanthropy as a result of the communion of love, following the Trinitarian model. The study aims to show that the philanthropy-centered discourse of Saint Basil the Great would not have any impact if it weren’t reinforced by the personal example, when he shared to the poor all his own wealth and built a whole philanthropic complex on the outskirts of Caesarea. Regarding the importance of Saint Basil’s writings for the current life of the Church, the study points out that the great Father of the Church was actively involved in the social life and tried, with audacity and perseverance, to denounce and correct its inequalities. Acting in this way, he proved to be a leader of the Church whose spiritual, administrative and moral authority was so great that it could no longer be ignored or challenged by the authorities of the state.
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Life is a sacred gift because it springs from the Divine Life, God being the One who enhances the life of created existences. Although the man, member of contemporary society, is moving further and further away from the natural, teantropic meaning of life – by his way of being and by his interrelation with the other existential structures –, he must remain conscious of his origin and the telos or transcendental destiny of his life. It is imperative that, during his lifetime, the man should be aware of his belonging to both the terrestrial and the sacred, divine environment; accordingly, his actions are always synergic, in a continuous dynamic of material and spiritual progress. In such a hypostasis, that lives his life as a moment of deification, the man identifies himself with the true sense of the phrase “man – crown of creation”.
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The article is inspired by the magnificent life and human activities St. Sava. St. Sava was the founder and first superior of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the great educator of Serbian people, an accomplished lawyer and a liturgist. The aim of this article is an attempt to take out one of the many corners illuminate the St. Sava’s magnificent patrons activity. Save over monasteries to the Holy Land, where he was first Serbian palmer (and to remind ourselves of his charity). The impression is that under the pressure of contemporary events easy to forget its many activities and patronage which he did outside of their country, and the glory of Christ and his homeland. Also, it was not possible to bypass his magnificent life, both secular and spiritual. Directing his life according to the Gospel and always going the narrow path that leads to salvation (Matt. 7:15), St. Sava rejected „earthly kingdom“ and comfort of life that he could provide royal ancestry. However, Saint Sava is excessive in its wisdom knew that money can buy many things, and for that reason buying, building, donated, ktitorisao and left his Orthodox brethren on the use of many buildings, and for his family provided the mention of the church services in order to eternal and heavenly pleasant life.
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