This research aimed to determine whether the rejection by Russian Orthodox Church leaders of recent translations of the Bible into Russian could be ascribed to a conflict of Russian and Western translation norms. Using Lefevere's (1992) notion of systems, the study compared the norms of Russian Bible translations, Western Bible translation and Russian literary translation, as well as those of a segment of the target audience, to determine the extent of their compatibility with each other and with the translations in question. The results showed that the recent translations did reflect the norms of Western Bible translation, but that these were not atypical of norms for previous Russian and Slavonic translations, nor for the norms of Russian literary translation. However, the results also showed that in practice target audience norms mirrored those of the Russian Orthodox Church, resulting in a similar rejection of the newer translations. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / M.A. (Linguistics)

After a barren period between about 1920 and 1970, in which there was little or no mission activity, the Orthodox Church has experienced a revival of interest in mission. This thesis is an examination of how Orthodox theology and worldviews have affected Orthodox mission methods, and account for some of the differences between Orthodox methods and those of Western Christians. A starting point for the study of the Orthodox theology of mission is the ikon of the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, which shows the apostles gathered in the upper room with the world in their midst. Orthodox soteriology, which sees Christ as the conqueror of evil and death, rather than as the punisher of sin, has led Orthodox missionaries to have a more open approach to other cultures. A historical survey of ways in which the Orthodox Church grew in the past includes martyrdom, mission and statecraft, monastic mission, and in the 20th century, the missionary significance of the Orthodox diaspora. Even in the fallow period, however, there was mission in the sense that various groups of people were drawn to Orthodoxy, sometimes through the ministry of irregularly ordained bishops. The collapse of communist regimes in the Second World has created many new opportunities for orthodox mission, but has also brought problems of intra-Christian proselytism, nationalism and viole:1ce, and schism and stagnation in those places. As the Orthodox Church prepares to enter the 21st century, its worldview, which has been less influenced by the modernity of the West, may enable it to minister more effectively to people involved in postmodern reactions against modernity. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D.Th. (Missiology)

This essay is mainly about the Church of the Goths and about the Russian Orthodox Church, and their conflict. The essay will be focusing about important persons in these two churches. This essay will be tracing back the roots of the Church of the Goths, since it is a church, that is unknown by most people in this world. My research will be making a distinction of the differences between the Church of the Goths and the Russian Orthodox Church. This essay will also be discussing the heritage of the Gothic people and the theories of the Goths.The methods in the essay, is academic sources, information from the Church of the Goths and from the Russian Orthodox Church. The results shows how the information was found, and now it is published for the first time about the Church of the Goths. This means the Church of the Goths has a stronger ground than first expected. The methods were comparing what the different sources says, and if it was possible to connect the Church of the Goths to the Metropolitanate of Gothia, and so on.