This volume contains a revised version of An Abridged Typicon—a popular work about the Typicon (or Typikon), the liturgical book outlining the order of Orthodox services and how they should be done. Topics range from proper decorum in church, the use of flowers, the orders of censing, directions on how to celebrate a hierarchical liturgy, how to serve in the presence of a non-celebrating bishop, services of Holy Week and Pascha, cross-processions, concelebration of the liturgy by multiple priests, and many other topics of interest especially to clergy.
Originally published in 1974, the revisions made in this edition of An Abridged Typicon have been limited mostly to clarifying the text as originally presented to conform with traditional English liturgical norms now used in North America, and with much of Mother Mary and Metropolitan Kallistos Ware’s traditional liturgical translations. The chapter listing the prokeimena, alleluia verses and communion hymns in the original edition has not been included here since these texts are now available in The Apostol. Likewise, the table listing the readings from the Psalter and the glossary have also been omitted.
Feodor S. Kovalchuk was ordained a priest in 1948, and elevated to the rank of Mitred Archpriest in 1960. He served as pastor of Nativity of Christ Church in Youngstown, Ohio for over 50 years.
Sergei Arhipov is head librarian and registrar as well as professor of Church Slavonic and Russian at St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary.