The Liturgical Commentaries

This volume contains an edition and facing English translation of Explanation of the Divine Temple and On the Sacred Liturgy, the two commentaries on the pontifical (archieratic) Byzantine Divine Liturgy by St. Symeon of Thessalonika († 1429). This edition is based on MS Zagora 23, which contains extensive corrections and additions apparently added to the text by the author himself. The book opens with an historical and theological foreword on liturgical commentaries and mystagogy by Archimandrite Robert Taft. The chapters that follow survey the life and career of St Symeon, analyze the structure and theology of the commentaries, and conclude with an account of technical and editorial questions. A concluding index includes references to names, places, and topics in Symeon’s text and the introductory chapters, as well as tracing key terms in the commentaries in both Greek and English.