Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 1996. Vol. 1. Eger Journal of English Studies.(Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 24)
Lajos Szőke: Aspects of liturgical languages in Europe
revealed by God to man, some Jewish theologians, however, interpreted God's words only theologically (as a sense), while for others the revelation was a linguistical notion as well implying the sacredness of the form of the text, too(see: Seckler, 1981:89-90). A more radical opposition of the two conceptions is only the product of later times, when the followers of the Reformed Judaism declared that the biblical books were written (only) with divine inspiration and in this sense the linguistic approach has lost its importance. The progress of this conception went parallel with the general ideas of reform in 19th century Europe. As a result, after a series of smaller translations the whole Old Testament was published in Budapest in 1907. It should be noted, however, that the primary purpose of this translation was to provide a better understanding of the Bible and it was not meant for liturgical use (Bottyán, 1982:102105). For the Christians the Latin Vulgata (406 AD) with its "sensus de sensu " philosophy of translation served as a reliable source for almost a thousand year even after the collapse of the Roman Empire. St. Jerome's work, in spite of its high philological quality, anticipated the problems of translating sacred books. The Bible and the liturgy from the point of pragmatics are complicated acts of communication where God's word is communicated in human speech and is interpreted by the people. All the symbols, gestures and speech are means of this communication which also express man's acceptance of the divine revelation. Communion, songs, worship, thanksgiving and the characteristic features of the language used in the liturgy (at least according to the opinion of some theologians and linguists) make up a symbolic system. Changing one part of the system can upset or distort the whole meaning - the human acceptance of the divine revelation (Thurneysen, 1964: 192-206). But here arises another question: can human language be an adequate means in this communicative act, when, on the one side we have God, described by the Bible as a state of peace, repose and absolute eternity, and man on the other side with his limited, always changing language? Has man the right to force his own language on God? 143
