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

SZŐKE LAJOS ASPECTS OF LITURGICAL LANGUAGES IN EUROPE Abstract: The three main religions in Europe the Jewish, the Muslim and the Christian have different relationship to the language of their sacred books and liturgies. The Jewish and Muslim tradition at this time does not differ very much, as, in the course of time, they both came to the conviction that only the original texts could be really relied on. The Christian "language-policy", however, created a situation which led to contradictions between the principles of theology and the practice of language-use. Catholics, Protestants and the Orthodox believers have even now no common liturgical language and a really ecumenical, interconfessional edition of the Bible. In spite of the suggestions of the United Bible Society or the Vatican Council II. the language in service books is still not homogenious. The study of liturgical languages has always been an interdisciplinary subject of investigation involving scientists of numerous, widely-varied academic fields (theology, philosophy, linguistics, sociology, anthropology, folklore, etc.). In spite of the great deal of work done by scientists in the last few decades to answer the questions of liturgical language-use, some aspects of it still have not been paid appropriate attention. One of these is the relationship of the three main religions - the Jewish, the Muslim and the Christian - to the language of their sacred books and liturgies. The differences were already present in the historical past. According to the ancient records the Jews must have lost their native 141