The orthodox liturgical year and its theological structure

The concept of ‘liturgical year’ indicates a reference to the meaning of the measuring units of civil time, and especially to the cosmic entities that determine the general rhythm of time – the sun and the moon. Interestingly, the liturgical time depends both on the structure of civil time, and, on the two discrete systems of the solar and lunar cycles, which have always been underpinnings of time measuring. The special importance and influence that the cosmical rhythms exert on the entire human life are also felt in the structure and theology of the liturgical time, where it signals the attempt to merge and reconcile the cosmical solar and lunar cycles within the liturgical year. This lead…

Book Reviews. „Encountering the God of Life” – Report of the 10th Assembly of the World Council of Churches

The Religious Carol in Transylvania –Function and Symbol

Abstract In the context of Romanian folkloric tradition, the carol represents one of the oldest cultural elements. The first part of this article defines the genre and functions of the Romanian carol, and explains that its basic function is the conveyance of wishes, referring to all aspects of the social and personal life of the recipient. As far as the nature of the carol is concerned, the second part of the article reveals some characteristics of the sense and symbol of the religious carol, concluding that carols are part of those traditional texts and melodies that can be called Eucharistic chants. Their preservation and practice in different areas of the country highlight their worth, a…