This thesis focuses on the analysis of anonymous Kancionálek (printed in Prague at K. F. Rosenmüller between 1712-1727). The thesis shows, based on survey sources, his relationship to other hymn-books and his possible sources (non-Catholic "litterati" hymn- book and other). Main part of the thesis analyzes the modifications of the old repertoire and overall concept of the hymn-book: purpose is to describe the editorial strategies for creating a small non-noted hymn-book for broad masses of people. The appendix consists of catalog of all the songs, that are included in Kancionálek.

Between 1810 and 1819, the Church of Sweden adopted three new books: the new handbook from 1811, archbishop Lindblom’s new explication of Martin Luther’s Small Catechism and Wallins new hymn book from 1819.  A few years earlier, a Lutheran revival movement had arisen in upper Norrland. The members of the revival movement, generally named “new readers”, reacted strongly to the influence of Enlightenment inspired theology (neology) in the new books. In 1848, the opposition of the most radical new readers led them to separate from the Church.  This master thesis examines the opposition to the new Swedish hymn book from 1819 in the area which since 1904 has been the diocese of Luleå. The study is limited to the period between 1819 and 1903. It is based on a qualitative problem-oriented source study through a close reading of the visitation documents for the parishes in the area. Opposition can be expressed in many ways and there can be many different indicators of it. The study’s inductive approach means that these indicators are not determined in advance, but rather are discovered through the close reading of the visitation documents.  The main questions discussed in the thesis are: • How long did it take before the parishes in upper Norrland introduced the hymn book of 1819? • What signs of opposition to the new hymn book are found in the visitation documents, and for how long? • How did the opponents motivate their resistance to the hymn book of 1819? • How was the new Sami hymn book from 1849 which was partly a translation from parts of the Wallinian hymn book received?  The study shows that it took a while before the new hymnal was introduced in most upper Norrland's Swedish-speaking parishes. More than half of those parishes had not introduced the new hymnal in 1829. This changed in many parishes during Bishop Franzén's visits in 1835. Opposition to the hymn book was largely expressed in parishes where the radical reading- movement had an influence. People expressed opposition to the hymn book in different ways during different phases. The opposition was usually explained in the visitation documents based on doctrinal reasons. The Sami hymnal, which was published in 1849 and which was partly based on the Wallinan hymnal, met with criticism from both the clergy in northern Lapland and the Sami. The priests criticized the translation, that it was difficult to understand for those who spoke the northern dialects. What the Sami were critical of is unknown.  The study shows that the new hymn book seemed to have been used in all Swedish-speaking parishes before 1903, but in parallel with the hymn book from 1695 in at least two parishes. This parallel use lasted for a very long time, perhaps during the entire investigation period. The old hymn book continued to be important to many people in upper Norrland.

This dissertation thesis follows on the contemporary research focused on the early modern manuscript culture. The thesis deals with the Moravian manuscript hymnals from the 17th and 18th century and with their repertoire. The manuscript hymnography is one of the richest sources for an understanding of the popular piety, the Baroque literature and the church music. Some of the hymnals are accompanied by musical notation and a large number of them are beautiful illuminated. However, they have never been made accessible through modern edition, and there are hardly any analytical studies concerning these hymnbooks. The opening chapter summarizes the existing research on the given topic. It is followed by the description of approximately forty manuscript hymnals. The next chapter concentrates on some specific qualities of the manuscript publication and focuses on the song repertoire. The third chapter further develops the general theses. It is devoted to four manuscript hymnals from the sixties and the seventies of the 17th century. The analysis of their writing, ilumination and repertoire proves the same author - Jan Klabík from Želechovice. This chapter concentrates on the song repertoire, relations to older hymnals and the song canon. The fourth chapter focuses on two specific groups of songs: the...

The dissertation concerns the use of modern music during liturgy. The first chapter is devoted to a music mentioned in the Bible. Church documents about the music in liturgy are investigated in the second and third chapter. Fourth chapter describes musical instruments and their use. Fifth chapter brings knowledge about modern scared music in Czech countries from beginning till today. Sixth chapter describes particular genres of modern sacred music. The specification of genres begins with spirituals and gospel music. These songs are traditional sacred music from Africa and America. The chapter continues with church jazz and rock. These genres originate from traditional sacred music. The next is church folk and songs from Taizé. Sixth chapter ends with music with electronic instruments. Seventh chapter describes hymn-books from totalitarianism till the present. The dissertation closes with eighth chapter with the tittle Prognosis in the future which is about modern sacred music in future.

The thesis deals the question of the last things of man, so the theme of the death, dying and imagines about the world and the other world, especially in the first and the second third of the 18th century in the South Bohemian town of Písek. The themes of the last things of man are studied on the example of two possible contemporary discourses, namely the semipopular and popular discours. The contemporary popular discours was constructed by the analysis of testaments of town people of Písek from the thirties of the 18th century, as the resources of the semipopular discours books ars moriendi and hymn-books were used. The world and the other world diffused especially in the time of the funeral; the almighty God was usually coming into the world through the death and the ritual of the funeral and manifested his fairness and grace. In the view of the popular discours the reality of baroque world was still confirmed and accepted by the funeral ceremonies again.

This master's thesis named Seven Sacraments Reflection in Tobias Zavorka Lipensky's Liturgical Work, deals with the transcription and analysis of liturgical acts which reflect seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. The appropriate texts were taken from Zavorka's agenda The Rule of Church Service, the hymn-book The Songs of Divine Praise and the song-book Funeral Chanting. The master thesis begins with brief Zavorka's curriculum vitae of Zavorka, who was the neo-utraquistic priest and Dean of the region of Doubravnik, and a description of his works. The main focus of the thesis is to describe the specifics of the special or sacramental liturgical acts that demonstrate the character of Zavorka's theological and liturgical work.

The dissertation focuses on the decoration of 16th century choral manuscripts. The first part is devoted to the person of Jan Táborský of Klokotská Hora (1499-1572) who was a scribe and an owner of a scribe manufactory, and to the most significant illuminators of the the 16th century who contributed to the decoration of songbooks in the Lands of the Bohemian Crown. Attention is given not only to the illuminators to whom Jan Táborský of Klokotská Hora assigned the work and whose contribution can be inferred from the documents or stylistic analysis of their illuminations, but also to their contemporaries. Besides the frequently mentioned Fabián Puléř, we can assume that Jan Taborský also collaborated with Matouš Ornys of Lindperk, Matyáš Hutský of Křivoklát, Ambrož Ledecký and, presumably, others. In this context, one part of the thesis is focused on engravings by Martin Schongauer, Albrecht Dürer, Bernard Salomon and on the domestic prints by George Melantrich the Elder, as these engravings, mostly woodcuts, served as patterns and inspiration for almost every Bohemian illuminator. Themes found in this type of manuscript are mostly based on Biblical stories, corresponding to the feasts of the liturgical year. In addition to these themes, the graduals contain many miniatures associated with various...