Отново за резбования кръст от църквата „Св. Димитър” в Свищов

Author(s): Margarita Kujumdjieva / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 2/2015

In Bulgarian literature by far this artefact was regarded as a donation of the Wallachian Prince Matei Basarab to the Holy Monastery of Iviron on Mount Athos, which is an assumption made upon an incorrect reading of the donor’s inscription. Located on the handle of the cross, the Cyrillic inscription clearly states that the cross was commissioned by the grand treasurer Stroe and his wife Vişa and was given to the Vieroş monastery in 1642 during the days of Matei Basarab. The grand treasurer Stroe was the eminent member of the Leurdeanu Boyar family and one of the most intriguing figures on the Wallachian political stage in 17th century. During his marriage to Vişa and while he was serving as a grand treasurer, Stroe Leurdeanu made do- nations for the subsistence of certain churches and monasteries related to his wife’s family. The donor inscription on the cross commissioned precisely for Vieroş monastery is the earliest evidence for Stroe’s support of this holy place. Apart from the survey on Stroe’s cross in Bulgarian and Romanian historiography, the article deals with its present day condition, possible initial function, technical and stylistic characteristics. The wooden part of the Stroe’s cross is a work of high skilled Athonite master. The closest parallel is an identical cross which has the same proportions, technical features, and similar program and iconographical details, that is today in the collection of the state Hermitage museum. In comparison to the woodcarving, the metal cover is not of the same exquisite quality and looks heterogeneous. The frame on the face and the reverse of the cross is strongly worn out and its original look was lost as a result of the sub- sequent interventions, but the part of the mount connecting the handle with the base of the cross provides opportunities for attribution evoking associations with the production of Aegean Macedonia’s craftsmen, influenced by the Greek ateliers in the capital, who were skilful to weave motifs of the Ottoman art of the time into their works. The carving was undoubtedly made by a Greek master and we can find Greek influence on its cover. These characteristics of the object are indicative of Stroe Leurdeanu’s high rank, range of contacts and preferences.

Поглед към творческата лаборатория на художниците Михаил и Евтихий (за цикъла на Успение Богородично)

Author(s): Maria Kolusheva / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 2/2015

The availability of a rare cycle of the Assumption scenes in the post-Byzantine painting at the Church of St George in Veliko Turnovo (1616) made us look at the root of its visualisation. The extant pictorial cycles both form West Europe and the Orthodox Christendom, show that until the late eighteenth century the representation of the subject has still been in a process of formation and any established iconographic tradition is out of the question. The things changed when the workshop of painters Michael and Eutychios Astrapas from Thessalonica took to the visualisation of the Assumption. In the late thirteenth and the early fourteenth centuries they were commissioned to decorate several monuments in the territory of what are now Macedonia, Serbia and Kosovo. The approach of the masters to the subject was creative and innovative. Working on various mural ensembles, they succeeded in inventing new compositions, introducing and establishing a number of iconographic elements in the traditional depicting of the Assumption. The next generation of painters followed closely and at times, more freely the model preset by the painters. With the fall of the Balkans to the Ottomans the tradition of representation of the cycle of the Assumption began to wane, but never faded away.

Иконография святых и рассказы о них: Богородица „Троеручица” (принципы взаимодействия образа и текста)

Author(s): Olga Belova / Language(s): Russian Issue: 2/2015

One of the characteristic features of the „Folk Bible” (folk legends based on the plots from the Old and New Testaments) is the fact that apocryphal tales and samples of Christian iconography became its sources together with the canonical biblical text and hagiography texts. The influence of iconography masterpieces on the structure of folklore texts is an extremely interesting area of research: it demands the study of the influence of canonical and „naive” sacred paintings on oral tradition; the principles of image interpretation in oral texts, and mechanisms of generation of folk narratives, based on the interpretation of this or that image are also to be analyzed. In this paper, we will focus on one illustrative case, i.e. the relationship of iconography and oral text in the folk stories about the icon of the three-handed Theotokos (Bogoroditsa Troeruchitsa). The article examines the narratives about the icon of Bogoroditsa Troeruchitsa, recorded in different regions of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. The image of Bogoroditsa Troeruchitsa is rather popular in the folk tradition environment, but its interpretation in East Slavic folklore is often based not on the episode from the life of Saint John of Damascus, but on the beliefs about the third hand of the Virgin, miraculously given to her by God (or by Christ). According to popular belief, because of this the Virgin and Child escaped from the chase and crossed the sea. It is also believed that the icon of the Bogoroditsa Troeruchitsa helps from the hands and arms disease: the presence of three hands on the image is regarded as evidence that the icon’s help is addressed to all the suffering and praying. With the help of this icon, if it was put on the water, the body of a drowned man can be found. A number of calendar prohibitions (for example, one cannot swim or bath in the Midfeast, which name Prepolovenie in folk etymology is explained through the word pereplyvat’ „to swim”) and local stories about the stones with traces of feet of the Virgin are associated with the legend of Bogoroditsa Troeruchitsa as well.

Цикълът по историята на пророк Моисей в галерията на църквата "Рождество Христово" в Арбанаси

Author(s): Margarita Kuyumdzhieva / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 2/2003

Константинополски процесийни кръстове от Средновековна България

Author(s): Konstantin Totev / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 3/2002

Напрестолно евангелие от Казанлък

Author(s): Elena Genova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 3/2002

Търновската плащаница от 1569 година

Author(s): Yuliana Boycheva / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 3/2002

Новооткрити сцени от житието на св. Козма Зоrрафски в Главната църква на манастира Зограф

Author(s): Ivanka Gergova,Alexander Kuyumdjiev / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 3/2002

Gotycki ołtarz główny kościoła św. Jakuba w Nysie

Author(s): Aleksandra Szewczyk,Jacek Witkowski / Language(s): Polish Issue: 1/2007

Gotyckie malowidła w wieży kościoła św. Macieja we Wrocławiu

Author(s): Romuald Kaczmarek,Jacek Witkowski / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2007

Klasztor lubiąski w literaturze i sztuce od XVIII wieku do połowy wieku XX

Author(s): Anna Jezierska / Language(s): Polish Issue: 2/2007

RELIGIOUS SACRIFICE – CONCEPTUAL DELIMITATIONS AND IDEATIONAL TRAJECTORIES IN SPECIALIZED RESEARCH

Author(s): Iuliana Magdalena Neacsu (Lupeanu) / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 40/2025

This study analyzes the concept of religious sacrifice in the Bible, highlighting its essential role in the spiritual and communal life of the Israelites. Sacrifice is examined as a complex ritual, grounded in the idea of social reciprocity, where the offering of divine gifts reflects devotion and loyalty to Yahweh. We explore the types of sacrifices, emphasizing that they range from food and drink offerings to animal sacrifices, each carrying specific symbolic meanings. The study also investigates the meanings and functions associated with sacrifices, including the importance of the act in the context of community and relationship with divinity in the New Testament. In conclusion, sacrifice in the Bible is not merely a ritual of worship, but an essential instrument for maintaining social and spiritual bonds, reflecting the complexity of the relationship between humans and God.

PRAYER AS A MEANS OF CULTIVATING THE HEART IN THE MISSION OF FAITH

Author(s): Ciprian Stanca / Language(s): English Issue: 40/2025

The Orthodox Church is spiritually revived through the power of prayer, sustained by the service of bishops, priests, monks, hermits and all her faithful people. Prayer, the existential foundation of the faithful, unceasingly renews the spirituality of the Church, reflecting in the diversity of forms of prayer the breadth of the spiritual life. Central is the essential prayer that resounds in the words "Well will I say the Lord at all times, his praise always in my mouth" (Psalm 33:1), manifesting the gospel in its living and authentic form. St. Isaac the Syrian emphasizes this as the "praise of the Church of Christ," highlighting a multifaceted spiritual practice that includes monasticism as a sanctuary where doctrines and devotions are preserved in unadulterated forms. Monastic chant, a subtle but profound element of this spiritual ecosystem, illuminates and challenges with the light of Christ. Through prayer, the Church not only communicates with God, but also spiritually transforms human beings, extending the prayer of the heart to the whole of creation. The spiritual fathers outline three progressive stages in the life of prayer and Christian perfection, as St. Basil the Great summarizes. These stages involve the journey of the mind from an outward movement to God, to introspection, and finally, the ascent of the soul itself to God. Each stage signifies a deeper integration of the spiritual into everyday life, culminating in the direct and direct encounter with God, overcoming the need for images or conceptual forms. This transformative prayer practice leads to a deep inner unity, echoing the teachings of the Psalmist and the Fathers of the Church, manifesting itself as a joyful devotion and love to God. By maintaining sustained attention and the virtues of temperance and patience, this transformative engagement with the Divine is maintained, deeply embedding the prayer of the heart into the fabric of daily existence.

PRAYERS IN THE HOLY GOSPEL ACCORDING TO SAINT LUKE THE EVANGELIST

Author(s): Ciprian Stanca / Language(s): English Issue: 40/2025

The Song of Mary, known as the "Magnificat", as recounted in the Gospel of Luke, addressing its poetic structure, theological themes and social implications. The analysis highlights how Mary expresses her gratitude and praise for divine intervention in her life, while also emphasizing the prophetic aspects of the hymn that foreshadow a divine order of justice and mercy. The central theme of the work is the reversal of social orders—the raising of the humble and the lowering of the mighty—which reflect the nature of God's kingdom as described in Jesus' teachings. The hymn is discussed not only as an expression of Mary's personal experience, but also as an echo of Old Testament promises and a vision of the universality of salvation. The "Magnificat" is presented as a profound eschatological and theological text that articulates the continuing hope in the fulfillment of divine promises for all nations, marking a defining moment in Christian literature and biblical spirituality. This work emphasizes the continued relevance of the Song of Mary as a source of theological inspiration and a model of divine and social engagement for believers of all times.

THE POWERFUL INFLUENCE OF PRAYER ON THE SPIRITUALITY OF PRACTITIONERS

Author(s): Ciprian Stanca / Language(s): English Issue: 40/2025

The power of prayer as an essential practice in the development and support of individual and community spirituality in different cultural and religious settings. By applying an interdisciplinary methodology, which combines theology, psychology, sociology and cultural anthropology, the study analyzes the impact of prayer on mental and physical health, as well as its role in promoting resilience and social cohesion. Particular emphasis is placed on comparing prayer practices between various religious traditions, exploring how they influence practitioners' perceptions, behaviors, and spiritual experiences. The article discusses the results of recent research and introduces new empirical data to argue how prayer works as a catalyst for personal and social transformation. Finally, the implications of these findings for contemporary spirituality theory and pastoral practice are outlined, highlighting the need for a more integrated and contextualized approach to prayer in modern interdisciplinary studies.

PORTRAITS OF PROMINENT HYMNOGRAPHERS UP TO THE PERIOD OF ST. THEODORE THE STUDITE

Author(s): Stelian GHEORGHIASA / Language(s): English Issue: 40/2025

The development of Christian hymnography owes much to the contributions of early hymnographers who shaped liturgical poetry through theological depth and artistic refinement. Figures such as St. Ephrem the Syrian, St. Romanos the Melodist, and St. John of Damascus played a crucial role in crafting hymns that expressed doctrinal truths and deep spiritual devotion. Their works, influenced by biblical and patristic traditions, laid the foundation for Byzantine hymnography. By the time of St. Theodore the Studite, hymnography had become a vital means of theological teaching and liturgical expression, enriching Christian worship for generations.

THE ONTOLOGICAL DEIFICATION OF MAN IN CHRIST - CONDITION OF FULL COMMUNION WITH GOD IN THE LIFE OF THE MISSIONARY CHURCH

Author(s): Iulian-Constantin Vrabie / Language(s): Romanian Issue: 40/2025

In Orthodox missionary theology, redemption is based primarily on the effects that the hypostasis of the God's Son induced in His human nature: inflexibility before sin and every temptation ultimately led his human nature to a transformation from the ground up, to a transfiguration in the sense of eliminating the consequences of sin and raising it to the level of the deification because Christ, the Word of God, "introduces us into a truth that has ontological implications" as Zizoulas points out. Thus, although the human being remains created nature, "Christified humanity", according to Fr. McGuckin, acquires through uncreated energies certain supernatural qualities which make the process of the deification of human nature not merely a pious metaphor, but a true reality and for man this transfiguration can only be realized in communion with Christ, Whose deified humanity is the source of sanctifying and deifying divine life, by which Christ creates in man a new spiritual organism through which man lives the spiritual life, with spiritual eyes and spiritual ears, which makes him become a christophor or theophor, and a christification of the human person takes place, which is the anthropological content of the deification.

Dejan Pacek, Od konflikta h kompromisu. Oris odnosa med državo in Katoliško cerkvijo v Sloveniji 1966–1991

Author(s): Tjaša Konovšek / Language(s): Slovenian Issue: 2/2024

Review of: Dejan Pacek, Od konflikta h kompromisu. Oris odnosa med državo in Katoliško cerkvijo v Sloveniji 1966–1991. Ljubljana: Inštitut za novejšo zgodovino, 2023, 560 str.

Položaj vernih učiteljev v socialistični šoli v sedemdesetih letih

Author(s): Jure Ramšak / Language(s): Slovenian Issue: 1-2/2018

The issue of the ideological affiliation of teachers in socialist schools was brought up soon after World War Two, but never fully resolved. The article talks about the heated debate at the time of ideological escalations in theigyos, when the League of Communists dealt a blow to the concept of ideologically neutral school, but still had to recognise as a compromise the reality of the late-Socialist period and could not afford an open division between religious and non-religious. The result of the debate, involving highly educated individuals, satisfied neither the advocates of the religious nor those on the side of the Marxist establishment. Later, the newly emerging democratic opposition also drew attention to the concealed establishment ofa communist monopoly in staff rooms. Nevertheless, the findings of the younger generation of sociologists of religion in particular contributed to the recognition that the pedagogical skills of teachers was more important than their religious affiliation.

АРХИТЕКТУРА И ЖИВОПИС ЦРКВЕ СВЕТОГ АРХАНЂЕЛА МИХАИЛА У АРАНЂЕЛОВУ КОД ТРЕБИЊА

Author(s): Nina Lojovic Milinic / Language(s): Bosnian Issue: 18/2019

The Church of St Archangel Michael in Arandjelovo was most probably built at the end of the 16th or at the beginning of the 17th century. Starting point for determining the time of its construction was the inscription engraved in the southern part of the entrance doorpost where the fact on death of the head of the district, Georgije, called Krnja, was noted down. The Church of St Archangel Michael is a simple one-ailed building with a semicircular apse on the east side, nartex and a bellcote on the western side, built probably in the 19th or early 20th century. Inside, the church is covered with a longitudinal half-sided vault that has two transverse reinforcing arches. Along the side ships of the naos and the nartex, there are deep arches resting on pilasters. In the naos, there are three arches and the middle one is the widest and slightly higher than other two, whereas along the sidewalls of the nartex only one arch is constructed. The church is covered with stone slabs. The frescoes in the church of St Arhangel Michael were painted shortly after the year of 1604. They present a synthesis of the Byzantine art tradition from the 14th century and so-called painting of Crete. Stylistic unevenness points to the work of several artists, probably three. The style of the artists who painted this church was based on Byzantine influences and, to a lesser extent, on the paintings of Crete, which is observed on the dark incarnation of the saint. Certain program and iconographic phenomena indicate that painters who decorated the church in Arandjelovo might be Greeks.