Performance Theory and the Study of Byzantine Hymnography

Andrew of Crete's Canon on Lazarus

Authors

• Pappismunkki Damaskinos Olkinuora Itä-Suomen yliopisto

Keywords:

Performance theory, Aesthetics, Byzantine hymnography, Communication

Abstract

The present paper examines a case study – Andrew of Crete's Canon in Lazarum, through the lens of performance theory, a methodological approach very little employed in Orthodox liturgics. The author shall argue that performance theory is an indispensable tool for analysing Byzantine hymnography. It helps the contemporary scholar to re-articulate liturgical actions and examine the interwoven roles and functions of the performances of liturgical texts.