Derzhavnaya bogoroditsa?

Michele A. Berdy maberdy at GMAIL.COM
Thu Oct 29 19:33:16 UTC 2009


Olga Meerson and others can surely comment more authoritatively, but I 
translate it as Dormition. Once I did that in a guidebook and my editors 
were so flustered by it ("Everyone calls it the Assumption Cathedral!") they 
made me stick in an explanatory note.

Both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches commemorate the same event on the 
same day. As I understand it, Catholics believe in the Assumption of Mary, 
but leave the question of Her Dormition (falling asleep) open. Orthodox 
believe She reposed and was then assumed into heaven. Because there is a 
theological difference here which is vividly represented in art/icons, I 
think it's a good idea to maintain a difference in terms. But I see on 
OrthodoxWiki the phrase "sometimes also called the Assumption," so maybe I'm 
nit-picking.


  So--  while
> we're at it,  how do dear colleagues deal with the slippery concept of 
> "Uspenie"?  Assumption?
> Dormition?    That Cathedral in the Kremlin is often translated as the 
> Assumption Cathedral, although
> I note that the Wikipedia entry uses "Dormition."
>
>
>
> George Kalbouss
> Emeritus  The Ohio State University
>

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