Religious Text Transfer in the Context of Orthodox Intercultural Exchange

Abstract

This paper focuses on the phenomenon of text transfer that followed the transfer of a cult between two different Orthodox cultures and three language traditions. The case of Saint John the Russian and the transfer of his cult from Cappadocia to Greece, and later to Russia, are examined. Special attention is paid to the hagiographic texts composed or translated during each stage of this transfer: from the initial oral tradition, based on which the first text was published in Karamanli Turkish in 1849, up to the texts written in Greek in mid-late 19th century and Russian texts from the late 19th century. The comparison of these text traditions shows the peculiarities in the perception of the same saint in different Orthodox cultures, while the factors that lead to this divergence are also revealed. The process of the gradual formation of the hagiographic text tradition dedicated to St. John the Russian in this trilingual space is analysed.