Τρισάγιον – in the Byzantineand Old Bulgarian Liturgical Practice. Characteristics, Features and Use in the Liturgical Tradition of the Church

Abstract

Ivan Ivanov, Τρισαγιον – in the Byzantine and Old Bulgarian Liturgical Practice. Characteristics, Features and Use in the Liturgical Tradition of the Church.
The study focuses on the ecclesiastical, social, and political prerequisites
for the formation of liturgical features in the Byzantine Empire and their
impact on Old Bulgarian and Slavic liturgical traditions. It examines the
characteristics of Byzantine and Old Bulgarian studies regarding liturgical
and Eucharistic practices within the context of both Bulgarian and international
liturgical research on the Liturgy and the Eucharist. Special attention
is given to certain peculiarities of Byzantine liturgies, such as the
Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom and the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, as
well as the Old Bulgarian Liturgy, with a particular focus on the role of the
Trisagion. The study clarifies the connection between the Trisagion and
the Liturgy of the Catechumens and the Liturgy of the Faithful. It proposes
a liturgical and theological interpretation of the Trisagion in relation to
Byzantine, Old Bulgarian, and Slavic traditions. Biblical and patristic foundations
for the Trisagion of the Angels are explored, and comparisons are
made with other forms of the Angelic song, such as the Cherubic Hymn
and the Sanctus – Post-Sanctus. The study includes their presence in the
liturgical life of the Church and their role as a theological phenomenon
within Church life. The research is based on authentic ancient Byzantine,
Old Bulgarian, and Slavic liturgical codices and prayer books (Euchologion),
as well as on liturgical and Eucharistic texts (anaphors) found in
Greek and Slavic liturgical books (Slujebnik). It demonstrates the connection
between Byzantine prototypes and Byzantine theology, and the Old
Bulgarian and Slavic models from the IX to the XV centuries, in which
the Trisagion is a central component. Additionally, the study includes liturgical
interpretations and analyses of medieval texts in comparison with
modern liturgical practices of the Church.