Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Question for the Orthodorks

Anyone know of a way to start learning the typicon? In form, function, and meaning/history?

Thanks.

7 comments:

thomasw said...

i was told by His Grace that it works extremely well as a door stop :P

Kassianni said...

just out of curiosity's sake, why do you want to read the typicon?
I'm told by those who know that this is a book usually reserved for russian monastics and/or really zealous students of liturgical practices.

Matthew Francis said...

Hey there Stacy. Though I don't know if its the best way to start, I was shocked to find that there is actually an online group dedicated to studying the typikon. From what I can gather, they seem pretty serious (in a wholesome way).

Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised. Nevertheless, if I were going to do this, I would search out a sane monastic (maybe like a priest-monk) and ask them.

We have a lady here at St. Herman's in Edmonton that is about 80 years old, Anna K. (Fr. John H. lovingly calls her "Anna of the Temple"), that faithfully puts together all the service books and readings for feasts, special troparia/kontakia and so on. I don't know if you've got an "Anna" down there in Memphis, but I've heard people like that are good to learn liturgical things from as well.

Donna Farley said...

Thomas, are you sure HG wasn't referring to The Rudder, rather than the Typikon itself?

Donna Farley said...
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Donna Farley said...

Hmm. Here is a very brief mention of typicon from Bp. Seraphim on the archdiocesan website.

http://www.archdiocese.ca/bishopABCs.htm

It should be noted that there is not one typicon, but various typika from different national traditions. The OCA typicon is apparently based on the Russian, as you would expect.

elizabeth said...

i appreciated reading Bp. Seraphim words... thanks Mat.Donna... :)

[stacy]
i am wondering [key word: wondering] if seeking to learn this should be done with the guidance of one's spiritual father? i do not know a lot about liturgics, etc. but i am learning that orthodoxy has a significant emphasis on individual guidance through one's spiritual father... (and/or others who are qualified to do this level of discipleship) ... i only know my own experience, which has been more of start small and be faithful to this first...

on the other hand...the one class i think i would be interested in taking someday would be one on the history of our liturgy...

i think an interesting question to raise [here in our blog] actually would be how much of this sort of thing do we pursue for our individual growth or if it is all pursued with help from those 'higher' than us...

hmmmm...