<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The Finnish Orthodox Church forms a small minority in a predominantly Lutheran country. Since the 1950s, some changes in liturgical texts have occurred because of this Lutheran presence. This paper discusses three of them: the addition “and all Christians” in the Great Entrance, the addition “through your intercessions” in the prayer formula “Most-holy Theotokos, save us”, and the commemoration of “our Bishop Irja” during the visits of the Lutheran bishop of Helsinki, Irja Askola, in the Uspensky Cathedral of Helsinki in 2015. The author proposes that the two first cases took place in order to reconcile the Orthodox population with their Lutheran surroundings by the commemoration of their non-Orthodox friends and relatives in the liturgy, on one hand, and to explain dogmatic thought that is foreign to Lutheran mentality, on the other. The additions, however, pose theological problems and should not be used as such.</p></abstract>

The Finnish Orthodox Church forms a small minority in a predominantly Lutheran country. Since the 1950s, some changes in liturgical texts have occurred because of this Lutheran presence. This paper discusses three of them: the addition “and all Christians” in the Great Entrance, the addition “through your intercessions” in the prayer formula “Most-holy Theotokos, save us”, and the commemoration of “our Bishop Irja” during the visits of the Lutheran bishop of Helsinki, Irja Askola, in the Uspensky Cathedral of Helsinki in 2015. The author proposes that the two first cases took place in order to reconcile the Orthodox population with their Lutheran surroundings by the commemoration of their non-Orthodox friends and relatives in the liturgy, on one hand, and to explain dogmatic thought that is foreign to Lutheran mentality, on the other. The additions, however, pose theological problems and should not be used as such.

Ecumenism in Liturgy?

University Teacher, Systematic Theology and Patristics, School of Theology

Review of Ecumenical Studies Sibiu

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Changes in Finnish Orthodox Liturgical Texts Stimulated by Co-Existence with Lutherans

The Finnish Orthodox Church forms a small minority in a predominantly Lutheran country. Since the 1950s, some changes in liturgical texts have occurred because...

Ecumenism in Liturgy?

Published Online: Aug 22, 2017

Page range: 173 - 186

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ress-2017-0013

Keywords
Finland, commemoration, ecumenism, liturgy, Lutheranism, Orthodoxy, prayer, Theotokos

© 2017 Damaskinos Olkinuora, published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Ecumenism in Liturgy?

Published Online: Aug 22, 2017

Page range: 173 - 186

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ress-2017-0013

KeywordsFinland, commemoration, ecumenism, liturgy, Lutheranism, Orthodoxy, prayer, Theotokos

© 2017 Damaskinos Olkinuora, published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Finland, commemoration, ecumenism, liturgy, Lutheranism, Orthodoxy, prayer, Theotokos