SUGGESTION: Menaion, Octoechoes et. al.

MJ. Smith
MJ. Smith Member, MVP Posts: 53,024 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited November 20 in Resources Forum

There doesn't appear to be any forward materials to explain how to interpret the text e.g.

  • twice - repeating from where?
  • glory be ,,, expansion
  • both now ... expansion
  • similar to ... where to find
  • tone 8 ... where to find

It would be useful for Logos to develop a few pages explaining to the non-Orthodox how to fill in the detail. In one's own tradition, it seems so obvious but to an outsider it can be very difficult to sort out initially.

Including a glossary could also help.

Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."

Comments

  • Gabe Martini (Faithlife)
    Gabe Martini (Faithlife) Member, Logos Employee Posts: 815

    That's understandable. There's a lot of "insider lingo" in these resources, and our Content Production department's goals are typically to copy exactly as the resource exists in print.

    I'd be happy to provide supplemental materials or links here (or elsewhere), however; e.g.:

    "Glory be..." is a call to intone "Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit." 

    "Both now..." is a call to intone "...both now and always, and unto the ages of ages, Amen."

    "Tone 8" is a call to chant that hymn in the eighth tone (plagal of the fourth). For that, you have to know Byzantine chant and how the tones work, which is assumed by the publishers of these books (as they're often only used by trained psaltes or cantors).

    "Similar to" is again a reference to the eight tones, a call to chant the verse or hymn in the same fashion as the hymn it references (you'd again have to know how to chant the hymn to begin with! [;)])

    "Twice" is contextual, but if you have specific questions, I can try to help. [:)]

    Product Department Manager
    Faithlife

  • MJ. Smith
    MJ. Smith Member, MVP Posts: 53,024 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I spent a decade as a church liturgist, learning from a Melkite Rite priest so I'm very aware of how much inside lingo there is. Even something like the Catholic morning and evening prayer can throw lifetime Catholics until they learn particular key phrases and place their ribbon bookmarks in the right place.[;)] What surprised me was that the resource didn't appear to ever give the full verbiage as different resources have somewhat different translations. That's not a complaint - just an observation.

    Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."

  • Gabe Martini (Faithlife)
    Gabe Martini (Faithlife) Member, Logos Employee Posts: 815

    Most Orthodox service books in English now abbreviate in this way, so it can be a little difficult or confusing for those not familiar with the 'flow' of our services.

    Product Department Manager
    Faithlife

  • MJ. Smith
    MJ. Smith Member, MVP Posts: 53,024 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Catholic practice is similar except that one place, (first use, preface or appendix) gives the full text in many ritual books.

    Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."

  • Gabe Martini (Faithlife)
    Gabe Martini (Faithlife) Member, Logos Employee Posts: 815

    Catholic practice is similar except that one place, (first use, preface or appendix) gives the full text in many ritual books.

    Well, we take pride in being disorganized and confusing. [H]

    Product Department Manager
    Faithlife