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Defended PhD theses in Bulgaria in the field of linguistics, literature, history, folklore, ethnography and art studies
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The culture of Georgian chant is variable and particular schools are different from each other. The vital schools are Gelati, Shemoqmedi (West Georgian chant traditions) and Karbelashvilebi (East Georgian chant traditions). The paper presents musical analysis of West Georgian chant traditions, using Gelati school as an example. Scores are taken from Georgian musical manuscripts from the 19th century, which are saved in National Centre of Manuscripts and were written by St. Pilimon the Chanter (Koridze) and St. Ekvtime the Confessor (Kereselidze). The article’s aim is to show how some of the Great Feasts in Georgia were celebrated. The first part contains the examination of some individual aspects of Georgian liturgical practice. The second part synthetises what is important in the process of researching Georgian chant. The analysis shows individuality of the chant material. Diversity and abundance of existing materials gives the opportunity to conduct further research on the topic.
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Prag im Oktober. Der Altweibersommer könnte nicht schöner sein. Der Hradschin, die berühmten „100 Türme“, die Karlsbrükke - eine Augenweide. Die Geschäfte am Wenzelsplatz sind voll mit Waren. Es bedarf des zweiten Blicks, des Gangs in die Nebengassen, des Gesprächs, um sich nicht vom Talmi- Glanz blenden zu lassen. Epigrammatisch ließe sich die Lage vielleicht folgendermaßen zusammenfassen: Touristen bekommen das - zweifelsohne wunderschöne - „goldene Prag“ serviert, den Einheimischen wird via Gulaschsozialismus das Mául gestopft. Wer dann noch aufmuckt, bekommt eins über den Deckel.
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This article aims to present a detailed analysis of the “Christian natural philosophy” elaborated by the German humanist philosopher and theologian Otto Casmann (1562–1607) in his various works. To this end, Casmann’s general idea of philosophia Christiana is discussed and critically evaluated. Regarding natural philosophy, or physics, attention is paid mainly to topics such as cosmogony and cosmology, which Casmann promised to have developed biblically and independently of the pagan (namely Aristotelian) tradition. However, when Casmann’s natural philosophy is analyzed in detail, his resolute emphasis on the literal reading of the Bible, the cornerstone of his entire concept, turns out to be problematic. Similarly, despite his resolutions, his natural-philosophical views are, to a considerable extent, still dependent on Aristotelian terms and concepts.
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The article examines the polemical anti-Latin writings “The Tale of how Rome fell away from the Orthodox Greek faith” (according to manuscript TSIAI 1161) and “Word of how Rome fell” (according to manuscript SANU 147) in the context of the theme of apocalyptic prophecies and the expectation of severe, but God’s just punishment for sins committed. A study of these short but message-laden late medieval texts reveals not only the perception of the conflict between East and West among ordinary people, but also the fear of catastrophic consequences for the world as a result of the violation of church tradition. The change of custom also implies an intervention in the plan of the Creator and changes in the physically visible and spiritual world.
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The text presents the Bulgarian church community “Nativity of the Vir-gin Mary” in Geneva, which is part of the Western and Central European Diocese of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. It contains thoughts shared by Bulgarians participating actively in the development of the newly-created church community. The article focuses on different aspects of parish life: church services, social initiatives, educational activities, etc. It also exam-ines the question of how restrictive measures during a pandemic affect a young church community.
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Firstly, the article provides basic information on the biblical teaching on marriage. While the Old Testament sees marriages with numerous offspring as a high value, the New Testament shows a tendency towards celibacy, be it on account of imitating Christ or for the expectation of imminent parousia. The most important author amongst the Fathers of the Church, St. Augustine, made a significant contribution towards forming the Catholic doctrine on marriage upon which drew even the medieval scholastics. In the modern age, the Church complained about the countries which forced their concept of marriage on the Catholic faithful. Even today, the Catholic Church is against the breakdown of marriage by means of divorce. Since the Second Vatican Council, however, there has been a development, for example, as regards contracting marriages between Christians of Catholic and non-Catholic confessions. Prior to the publication of the 1983 Code of Canon Law, this was expressed in the motu proprio of Paul VI Matrimonia mixta, whose regulation did not have to be changed substantially in the Code.
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Литературната дейност, която се развива в рамките на Охридската архиепископия през периода от нейното възникване в началото на XI в. до времето, когато Димитър Хоматиан заема архиепископския престол в Охрид (началото на XIII в.), е разнообразна и богата Важно място в нея заемат въпросите, свързани с делото на светите братя Кирил и Методий и пренасянето на това дело в България по времето на княз Борис I. Това се дължи на факта, че тези въпроси са били използвани от охридските архиепископи за отстояване на независимия статут на архиепископията по отношение на Константинополската патриаршия. От най-съществено значение за проследяване на кирило-методиевската тема в съчиненията на висшия църковен клир, оглавявал архиепископията през разглеждания период, са следните извори: Климент Охридски, известно още като Дългото житие на Климент, написано от архиепископ Теофилакт през XI в.; 2) Запазеният списък на охридските архиепископи, съставен в средата на XII в. по времето на архиепископ Йоан Комнин (т.нар. Дюканжов списък); и 3) Краткото житие на свети Климент Охридски, написано през XIII в. от архиепископ Димитрий Хоматиан.
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The history of the Ohrid Archbishopric, which researchers have been studying for more than two centuries, is a favourite topic of Slavists (historians, theologians, art historians). In different chronological periods, this Byzantine archbishopric has been the central object of the claims of the Byzantine, Bulgarian and Serbian churches. The importance of the archbishopric also depended on the extent of the territory under its jurisdiction. The function of the archbishopric was ecclesiastical and political. It acted not only as an autocephalous ecclesiastical organization, but also as an institution supporting political structures.
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The paper treats the issue on the reconstruction of the image of Tsar Samuel from the perspective of the Ohrid Archbishopric. The snapshots from the sources starting from Basil II’s sigillia and other official acts, reveals that the representation of Samuel was largely shaped in accordance with the ideological concept of the Ohrid Archbishopric. Depending on the political constellation and the momentary aims of the ideological propaganda, Samuel was either recognized as the fundamental ruler and inseparable part of the traditions of the Ohrid Archbishopric, or was completely excluded within the constructed theories about the origin оf the Archbishopric. The leading people in the Ohrid Archbishopric constantly modified and constructed the ecclesiastical traditions for the purpose of reinforcing the position and the status of the Archbishopric, in which the Christian saints were also exploited. This tendency also found reflection in the alteration of the original legend about Vladimir and Kosara, that served Archbishopric’s pretensions for obtaining the leading role among the Orthodox Christians in the Balkans. Hence, from the reading of the official works composed for or from the Ohrid Archbishopric we can notice the tendency for adapting, constructing and manipulating the traditions emerging from Samuel’s political and ideological program, that involved the cults and legends originating in Prespa and Ohrid, wherefrom we receive opposed and distorted images of Samuel. Their deconstruction is the main goal of this paper.
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The first graffito-drawing, from the northern gallery, that we present here contains a heraldic eagle. Byzantium inherited from Rome the use of the one-headed eagle as one of the emblems of imperial power, but it seems that its use as a military insignia disappears too quickly. However, the reliefs, as well as the miniatures, retain the tradition of the one-headed eagle for a long time. Due to the fashion of the eastern fabrics, which turned the two-headed eagle into dominate ornament on the palace garments during the Komnenian period, the usual one-headed eagle was almost completely replaced by this new, imaginary version. The body of the graffito eagle has a teardrop shape and with its almost round top finds a close parallel to some of the eagles on the eastern tissues. However, other details point out to the Byzantine tradition of embroidered silk textiles and reliefs. All this could points to a relative dating of the graffito between the 10th and 13th century.The second graffito is a double-headed eagle standing in heraldic pose from the southern gallery. The graffito drawing represents later image of a crowned double-headed eagle, since the examples with such a motif are more common in the 14th and 15th centuries, when it appears on marble reliefs, textiles with embroidery, seals, coins, sgraffito ceramics and manuscript illustrations. From the end of the XIV – the beginning of the XV century one can find that the heads of double-headed eagles begin to appear with crowns or, very often, a little lily. Based on all the details, but most of all the wings and the shape of the torso, as well as the spur on the left leg, it is possible to accept the relative dating of the first of the graffiti drawings within a time span between the 14th – 15th centuries. The Greek inscription (Tornikios) could hypothetically linked some representative of the famous Armenian (or Georgian) family with the depicted two- headed eagle.It seems to me that in the ornitomorphic-graffiti from the Church of Hagia Sophia is impossible to see nothing than a general image of power or a triumph of good.
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This text outlines an interactive philosophy teaching model conducted among 9th-grade students of 51th Secondary School “Elisaveta Bagryana” – Sofia. The teaching is based on a topic set in the curriculum and concerns the exploration of values in the Old and New Testaments. The model examines the values of Old Testament justice and Christian love in the context of their relationship to society and the individual. It emphasizes the practical nature of both types of values and derives their relevance to specific life situations. The teaching aims to develop the skills of analysis, synthesis, argumentation, discussion, conclusion-drawing, and generalization. The stages of learning follow the sequence: from knowledge of biblical values to skills for defining them in practice, focusing on their competent application in life. The model demonstrates an approach to make learning more challenging and encourage critical thinking in an enjoyable manner. It cultivates a value model rooted in understanding and respecting differences.
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The legacy of the most prominent Bulgarian Church historian, Ivan Snegarov (1882–1971) has not been an object of an extensive and detailed analysis until recently. The article Ivan Snegarov – Life and Historical Work is an attempt to fulfi ll this lack and presents a brief outline of the author’s PhD dissertation with the same title. The article is divided onto three parts: the first one (entitled Life) is a biography of Snegarov, the second (The Various Periods of the Bulgarian History in Ivan Snegarov’s Works) – analysis of his major historical works, and the third (Into the Constructive Laboratory of the Historian Ivan Snegarov) – synthesis of the most essential trends and ideas in Snegarov’s writings.
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This article analyzes the perception of time in monastic culture and in the context of an Orthodox parish. It decides that the measure of the perception of time in Orthodox monastic culture is the divine eternity; the measure of parish perception of time is the rhythmicity of earthly human life.
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The researcher compares the two works by Simeon of Thessaloniki with their shorter versions, which appeared in the Balkans “Ἑρμηνεία περὶ τοῦ θείου ναοῦ” (“Explanatio de divino templo”) the former on the basis of its 15th-century Southern Slavonic epitome, entitled Протлⷦь луⷮргїи, и црк҃ви, и чи́нꙋ сщ҃енⸯничьскомꙋ (according to the copy in the RGADA 88 manuscript 16th century, and the latter “Περὶ τῆς ἱερᾶς λειτουργίας” (“De sacra liturgia”) on the basis of its partial Church Slavonic translation according to the hagiography of Spiridon of Gabrovo of the early 19th century (No. 1322 at the National Library St. Cyril and Methodius). These texts are compared as regards the interpretation given in them of holy time in the Eucharistic service. The information about every single item in the liturgy in the sources compared is presented with a view to its external (ritual) aspect and its inner meaning (symbolism). As a result, the Southern Slavonic reception of the Greek mystagogic knowledge of the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance is reflected in the overall context of the liturgical exegesis of one of the most distinguished late Byzantine mystagogues, seen in his individual intellectual development.
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The article examines the content of a chrysobull allegedly issued by the Serbian Despot of Serres, Jovan Uglješa (1360–1371), for the Athonite Monastery of Simonopetra. The original document is lost, and the only surviving version is a copy authenticated by the Patriarch of Constantinople, Cyril I Loukaris, in 1623. This patriarchal confirmation charter presents a text supposedly issued by Jovan Uglješa 359 years earlier, in 1264. Beginning with this evident chronological discrepancy, the article analyzes the text of Loukaris’s corroborated copy and evaluates which elements of this potentially forged document may be regarded as authentic and which must be dismissed as inconsistent or anachronistic.
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The paper analyzes the geopolitical processes that were triggered by the conflict in Ukraine in 2022, what led to them and how they affect the Orthodox civilization. The conflict in Ukraine is not only a military conflict, it is a conflict of value systems, a propaganda conflict, a conflict between two nations of similar language, religion, culture and history, and a conflict for the new world order. These similarities, as well as belonging to the same civilizational order, were placed in another plan, far behind geopolitical goals. In recent years, Orthodoxy has suffered a lot and is facing problems of an existential nature. The ideals and values that have been cherished for centuries in the Orthodox civilization, and which have been preserved to this day, cease to be valued and lose their importance. The ongoing schism within the Orthodox civilization can create insurmountable consequences for the Orthodox world and thus completely fall under the influence of other civilizations. What is needed is to return to the essence of Orthodox values and strive towards the idea of unity, true freedom within society and valuing the individual. Only then will Orthodox civilization be able to overcome the problems imposed on it by external factors and only then will it realize its potential.
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