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The voice of the Eternal ​

in the words of today

What is Revised Liturgical English  ?

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St. Mark's in Wrightstown, before the Nativity Vigil (image credit: Mat. Heidi Browne)

Revised Liturgical English (RLE) presents English-speaking Orthodox Christians with accurate, poetically powerful liturgical texts free from the grammatical ambiguities and irregularities found in many recent attempts to conform worship and prayer with modern secular language.

 

It is traditional, but not archaic.

It is elegant, but not extravagant.

It is dignified, but not pretentious.

It is clear and precise, but not plain.

It is accessible, but not casual.

It is the voice of the Eternal in the words of today.

-based, English-language Protestant editions, including the King James Version and Revised Standard Version; these provide the literary norms and models for traditional liturgical English. Revised Liturgical English employs the Septuagint Psalm numbering system. 

As noted in the forward of The Apostol, Professor Arhipov extends his deepest gratitude to all whose keen attention to detail identified many of the most glaring, as well as the more subtle, shortcomings in this early foray into Revised Liturgical English. As further suggestions and corrections are brought to light, it is most inappropriate to speak of perfection regarding any human work, except that in all our work in this most imperfect world, we must strive to attain toward that perfection which is in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

The editors of Aorist Press recognize and respect the reality of the broad patterns of diversity in the ethnic makeup, historical and jurisdictional differences of understanding in North American Orthodoxy, and indeed throughout the world. In all of our work, we continually strive to represent various traditions of Orthodoxy, which "does not know uniformity, but blossoms with many and diverse flowers."* In our future publications, we will address and correct any unintended oversights or omissions. Special attention will, however, be paid to the inclusion of services to saints canonized in or especially revered by the Orthodox faithful in American jurisdictions. 

We do this in the hope that through the interessions of the Enlighteners, Martyrs, Teachers and Defenders of Orthodoxy in America, and the entreaties of the Most Holy Theotokos, we may be granted true unity of faith in this new vineyard of our Lord Jesus Christ that is still, it is safe to say, in the process of planting. 

The editors alone are responsible for the content and scope of these publications, and invite all competent and unprejudiced criticism aimed toward the perfection of this work to the glory of God and His Holy Orthodox Church. 

Please remember us in your prayers.

-Sergei Arhipov and Daria Cortése, Editors

 

*Old Orthodox Prayer Book, vi.

The primary sources consulted for the Psalms include Michael Asser's The Septuagint, and Archimandrite Lazarus Moore's The Holy Psalter: The Psalms of David from the Septuagint. Other Old Testament material comes from Asser's Septuagint, and is also informed by the traditional Latin (Vulgate), Church Slavonic, and English (Douay-Rheims and Brenton) versions of the Holy Bible. We have also consulted several Masoretic-

The editors invite all competent, unprejudiced criticism aimed toward the perfection of this work to the glory of God and His Holy Orthodox Church. 

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