Religion and Language in Post-Soviet Russia
Author | : Brian P. Bennett |
Publisher | : Routledge |
Total Pages | : 223 |
Release | : 2011-04-29 |
ISBN-10 | : 9781136736124 |
ISBN-13 | : 1136736123 |
Rating | : 4/5 (123 Downloads) |
Download or read book Religion and Language in Post-Soviet Russia written by Brian P. Bennett and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2011-04-29 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Church Slavonic, one of the world's historic sacred languages, has experienced a revival in post-Soviet Russia. Blending religious studies and sociolinguistics, this is the first book devoted to Church Slavonic in the contemporary period. It is not a narrow study in linguistics, but uses Slavonic as a passkey into various wider topics, including the renewal and factionalism of the Orthodox Church; the transformation of the Russian language; and the debates about protecting the nation from Western cults and culture. It considers both official and popular forms of Orthodox Christianity, as well as Russia's esoteric and neo-pagan traditions. Ranging over such diverse areas as liturgy, pedagogy, typography, mythology, and conspiracy theory, the book illuminates the complex interrelationship between language and faith in post-communist society, and shows how Slavonic has performed important symbolic work during a momentous chapter in Russian history. It is of great interest to scholars of sociolinguistics and of religion, as well as to Russian studies specialists.