hymns – RCS

Rainer Stahl retired general secretary of Martin Luther Bund (Habichtstrasse 14 A, Erlangen, Germany, D-91056)
rainer.stahl.1@gmx.de

Stahl R. Martin Luther inspiriert und regt zum Widerspruch an. Teil 2., Religiya. Tserkov’. Obshchestvo. Issledovaniya i publikatsii po teologii i religii [Religion. Church. Society: Research and publications in the field of theology and religious studies], Saint-Petersburg, 2018, vol. 7, pp. 44–67.

doi: 10.24411/2308-0698-2018-00003

Language: German

The text «Martin Luther inspires and stimulates contradictions» continues the second part of the artcile based on the report read 11. April 2017 in Tscheboskary and published in the previous volume of the almanac. The author raises such questions as the Luther’s attitude to the new picture of the universe (of Copernicus), the reformer’s approach to the relation between Jews and Christians and his view on the Muslims. The author insists on careful historical understanding of Luther’s positions, especially then they are far from the modern one. In the Jewish question, Luther used to be very critical and severe, but the author emphasizes that no government followed specifically his suggestions and ideas. As to the Luther’s approach to the Muslims , in the author’s opinion, the only attractive theme is his demand to understand the other religion correctly. It’s clear that for the contemporary ethnical situation in Europe make necessary for Lutherans to re-estimate Luther. The author comes to conclusion that the only idea that should be taken today is Luther’s understanding of the Revelation as made by Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ.

Keywords: Copernicus, the universe, Judaism, Jews, Muslims, Islam, Turks, hymns, Christ, Revelation

URL: http://rcs-almanac.ru/stahl-2018-en/

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Anton Vladimirovich Tihomirov, Doctor in theology, Theological seminary of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church (derevnya Novosaratovka, 140, Leningrad region, Russia, 193149) tikhomirov@live.com

Tihomirov A. V. Fake pearl: Chants of Paul Gerhardt in Russian translation, Religiya. Tserkov’. Obshchestvo. Issledovaniya i publikatsii po teologii i religii [Religion. Church. Society: Research and publications in the field of theology and religious studies], Saint-Petersburg, 2016, vol. 5, pp. 298–313.

doi: 10.24411/2308-0698-2016-00015

Language: Russian

The article is a cut Russian translation of the report, read 05. 27. 2016 in Lübeck at the conference «Paul Gerhard in the Baltic area». The text examines the translations of the Gerhardt’s hymns exclusively within the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Paul Gerhard (1607–1676) was the greatest poet in the history of Lutheranism, who wrote a variety of traditional Lutheran hymns, which latterly inspired work of J. S. Bach. Many Paul Gerhard’s chants sound today on worship of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia both in the original language and in the Russian translation. This publication analyzes the texts of Russian translations of hymns, which were included in the official collection of hymns of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Despite their quantity, translations of chorales don’t correspond much with the German original. This is partly because of poor language knowledge (especially in 1990s, when within the period of revival of the Lutheran liturgical life translations were prepared in a hurry) and partly because of the lack of theologically educated compilers. Trying to give more «spiritual depth», translators actually changed specific terms or even whole lines that distorted texts and vulgarized their meaning. The author notes, that the intentional desire to replace complicated poetics by banal pious rythms, is an attempt to make chants more understandable and simple for broad audience. The author comes to the conclusion that, although without hymns of Paul Gerhardt it is impossible to imagine the Lutheran service in Russia, translations do not correspond to the original texts. The great German poet and spiritual Church leader still awaits his translator.

Key words: hymns, psalms, German, theology, vulgarization, spirituality

URL: http://rcs-almanac.ru/tihomirov-a-v-2016-en/