Canon and Biblical Text in the Slavonic Tradition in Russia

What is it about?

In order to gain a better understanding of the situation in Russia with regard to biblical canon and biblical text, particularly in the Russian Orthodox Church, this article reflects on the notion of non-canonical books, the role of tradition and its roots in the development of the canon in early Eastern Christianity, as well as the Russian Orthodox Church’s acceptance of multiple authoritative versions of biblical books. This is followed by a brief discussion of the Slavonic Bible and the Russian Synodal Translation, particularly their sometimes hybrid textual base. The article closes with some thoughts on what this complex situation might mean for Bible translation projects in Orthodox contexts in Russia.

Featured Image