Monthly Archives: October 2012

A major part of Orthodox liturgical worship is found in the center of Matins, which is the primary morning office of prayer. Matins begins with a night vigil and ends with praise for the new dawn, moving from repentance in … Continue reading →

When delving into biblical – Hebrew – poetry, one primary characteristic makes itself immediately clear, and that is the ubiquitous couplet structure.  I’m sure – I know – there is a lot that can be said about Hebrew poetry, and … Continue reading →

In Orthodox hymnody, the psalms and biblical canticles have pride of place.  Even when they aren’t explicit – which is only a choice on the part of the local community since they are always appointed – they are implicit.  Orthodox … Continue reading →

I’d like to explore in this posting two terms that key off of one another. They are both integral to understanding Orthodox worship and the role that hymnography plays in it. The first term is communal. As a product of … Continue reading →