The Culture of Quoting in Simeon Polotsky's Epistles: Biblical Texts and Liturgical Books

Textus et Studia. 2015. No. 4(4). P. 127–141.

Преображенская А. А.

The article looks into biblical quotations in letters and epistles by the first Muscowy court poet Simeon Polotsky (1629–1680). In the second half of the 17th century Russian literature was changing dramatically while encompassing Western tradition and secular tendencies. Biblical texts also became a subject for revision for various reasons. Simeon Polotsky, educated in the Mohyla Collegium and in Poland, used biblical texts extensively not only in his sermons, but also in his private letters and epistles. To explore the role biblical quotations played in Simeon’s letters, the article analyzes the corpus of Simeon’s epistolary texts in comparison with other letters of the period. Classification of quotes is given to demonstrate the ways in which Simeon treated biblical texts, editing and correcting them.

Ключевые слова: Bible, letters, Epistles, quotes, culture of quoting, Simeon of Polotsk