Original version
Proceedings of the 23rd International Congress of Byzantine Studies, Belgrade, 22-27 August 2016: Round Tables. 2016, 648-654
Abstract
Introduction: Byzantine hymnographic traditions offer a significant but understudied body of literature. Keying their works to lectionaries and liturgical calendars, Christian and Jewish liturgical poets offered biblical exegesis in metrical form and enhanced religious rites with affective performances and theological reflection. This roundtable discussion assesses the literary efforts of liturgical poets in shaping Syrian and Greek Orthodoxy and Byzantine Judaism. Papers consider late antique madrashe, kontakia, and piyyutim, including works by Ephrem and Romanos the Melodist; and the rise of the kanon hymn in Palestine and Constantinople. Attention will be given not only to questions of literary invention and tradition, but also to performance practices and contexts. We offer close readings of single texts; methodological reflections on the relationship among texts, performance, and audiences - both original and subsequent; and explore the reception and preservation of liturgical literature in manuscripts.