New edition of the Divine Liturgy now available from STM Press

Saint Tikhon’s Monastery Press is pleased to announce the publication of the Hieratikon (Volume 2]: Liturgy Book for Priest and Deacon, edited by Hieromonk Herman [Majkrzak] and Dr. Vitaly Permiakov.

The volume includes the full texts of the Divine Liturgies of Saint John Chrysostom and Saint Basil the Great and the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, together with several explanatory introductions regarding hierarchical, vesperal, and paschal Liturgies; the order of censing; and priestly and diaconal concelebration.  Appendices include hymns and verses of the liturgical year, various blessings (palms, artos, fruit, herbs, etc.), and more.

With the blessing of His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon, the 1967 text has been carefully compared to the standard Greek and Slavonic editions, and revised in consultation with the Orthodox Church in America’s Holy Synod of Bishops and Department of Liturgical Music and Translations.  Dr. Permiakov explains that the editors’ goal was “for the text of the prayers and litanies to be accurate and understandable, that is, to be both in continuity with the original Greek (and Slavonic) text of the Liturgy and with the accepted style of English-language translations of sacred texts.  The editors also sought to make liturgical rubrics both descriptive and prescriptive, so as to reflect the actual liturgical practice of the Orthodox Church in America, while ensuring that the established liturgical use conforms to the broader tradition and practice of the Church.”  Hieromonk Herman adds that “the wide expertise of hierarchs, experienced pastors, liturgiologists, and linguists was consulted throughout the editorial process.”

“The Eucharistic Banquet is the summit of man’s life on earth,” writes Metropolitan Tikhon in the volume’s Foreword.  “It is, already in this life, a partaking of the life of the age to come.  Its celebration has therefore always been adorned with every possible beauty….  In his American sermons, Saint Tikhon [of Moscow]... points to this liturgical splendor as integral to the Church’s apostolic witness.  He was himself an early champion of Orthodox liturgical texts in English, and this new edition of the Divine Liturgy builds on the foundation he laid.  May it be found pleasing in God’s sight and useful for those who serve at His holy altar.”

“Translations that are faithful to the original meaning are extremely important for the Orthodox, and the editors of the Hieratikon have given us a revised translation of the Liturgies that not only takes into consideration the biblical origins of the texts but also their use in the writings of the Church Fathers,” says Prof. David Drillock, Chair of the OCA Department of Liturgical Music and Translations.

The edition is identical in shape and size to its 2014 companion volume, Hieratikon: Office Book for Priest and Deacon, which contains the services of Vespers, Matins, the Hours, Compline, and so on.  It is printed in black and red on high-quality paper and durably bound in leather, with three ribbon markers and gilt edges.  According Hieromonk Herman, the book’s designer, “We have made every effort to produce a liturgical book of high esthetic quality as befits any object used in the offering of the Divine Liturgy.  At the same time we have striven for a format that is easy to navigate, making it practical to use while celebrating the Liturgy.  The book is truly pocket-sized, but the main Liturgy texts are still a comfortable 12-point font, which is larger than in the first volume.”

Hieromonk Herman is a member of the Brotherhood of Saint Tikhon’s Monastery and a lecturer at Saint Tikhon’s Seminary.  Previously he had served for several years as the Chapel Music Director at Saint Vladimir’s Seminary, Yonkers, NY, where he was also a part-time student in liturgical studies.  A 2005 graduate of Saint Tikhon’s Seminary, he has done editorial and design work for Divine Ascent Press, Saint Tikhon’s Press, and Wipf & Stock Publishers.

Dr. Permiakov is Assistant Professor of Dogmatic and Liturgical Theology at Holy Trinity Seminary, Jordanville, NY.  Originally from Riga, Latvia, he holds an M.Div. from Saint Vladimir’s Seminary and a Ph.D. in Theology (Liturgical Studies) from the University of Notre Dame.  He is a member of the North American Academy of Liturgy and of the Society for Oriental Liturgies.  He has published with Notre Dame Press, Saint Tikhon’s Press and Holy Trinity Publications.

Source: OCA