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Philology: scientific researches
Reference:

The composition of the protocol in the official religious language style

Lo Di

ORCID: 0009-0009-2970-4216

Postgraduate student; Department of Russian Language, General Linguistics and Speech Communication; Ural Federal University

40 Vostochnaya str., Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk region, 620000, Russia

luodi574@yandex.ru
Other publications by this author
 

 

DOI:

10.7256/2454-0749.2024.7.71254

EDN:

ZBGWIS

Received:

11-07-2024


Published:

18-07-2024


Abstract: The subject of the study is the specificity of composition in a religious style. The object of the study is the protocols in the official religious language. The author examines in detail such aspects as the composition of various parts of the protocol genre in a religious style as stated and final, or certification (decided) parts. Special attention is paid to the part "listened to" and "resolved". In the ascertaining or substantive part (listened to), the participants of the meeting of the Holy Synod use various documents, including a report, a message, a petition and a proposal. Verb infinitives, derived nominative and adverbial prepositions, and conjunctions in phrases with nouns are often used in the final or certifying (resolved) part of the documents in order to show the accuracy and rigor of the content of decision-making. The article analyzes the uniqueness of the protocol genre using the categorical-textual method developed at the Ural scientific School of Linguoculturology and stylistics. The main conclusion of the study is that a protocol in a religious style usually has the following compositional blocks: a title fixing the genre and date of the meeting, the chairman, the full name of the meeting, the venue of the meeting, a detailed list of permanent members of the Holy Synod and a complete list of those invited to the meeting; the number of the journal (protocol); the "listened to" block, which contains the agenda of the meeting; the block "decided", which contains the decisions taken on a specific issue. The composition of the protocol in a religious style is generally similar to the traditional composition of the protocol in a secular environment, as it includes parts "listened to" and "decided upon". The difference is in absence of the "conclusion" block in the religious protocol, as well as the presence of a variable "stating" part of the judgment. For a deeper understanding of this genre, the perspective is to study the linguistic features of the protocol genre.


Keywords:

religious functional style, official-business substyle, text, text category, composition category, genre, protocol, journal, compositional block, linguistic features of the protocol

This article is automatically translated. You can find original text of the article here.

The question of functional style is one of the central ones in modern stylistics [9]. A functional style is "a historically formed, socially conscious speech variety with a specific character formed as a result of the implementation of special principles of selection and combination of linguistic means, it is a variety corresponding to one or another socially significant sphere of communication and activity correlated with a certain form of consciousness – science, art, law, etc."[16].

At the historical junction of the XX-XXI centuries, a religious functional style is being formed in the modern Russian literary language, which constantly attracts the attention of researchers [28]. Scholars engaged in the study of religious functional style [10, 17, 18, 36, 40, 41, 42], They pay attention to the liturgical genres of prayer, sermon, epistle, hagiography, akathist [3, 8, 11, 14, 29, 33].

Delving into the study of religious style, linguists note, "the religious sphere of consciousness is realized not only in the process of Worship, but also covers all other spheres of human activity: "Faith cannot be dismissed, because it includes everything in the world" [32]. In the Russian Orthodox Church, as in other churches, the sphere of law functions and, accordingly, the genres of official business style are relevant, theology as a special branch of science is implemented in scientific style texts, the genre of life presents an artistic style" [12]. Based on this understanding, this study will specifically focus on the official-business foundation of the religious functional style.

According to Galperin, "each functional style is subordinated into a number of substrates" (each functional style is divided into a number of substyles. [translated by the author. – L. D.]) [37]. There is a representative genre of protocol in the official business framework of the religious functional style. The protocol is traditionally understood as "a genre of official business style, the purpose of which is to document the course of discussion of a certain issue and the official decision of this discussion is the result of this discussion" [21, p. 351]. In secular communication, the genre of protocol is actively explored in many fields, such as entrepreneurship [25], history [5, 38], education [2, 19], law [23, 24], medicine [27, 31], computer and information sciences [13, 26, 34], international exchange and cooperation [1, 20, 35]. In the official business framework of the religious functional style, the genre of protocol has not been sufficiently studied [6, 39].

In this work, the main attention is paid to the analysis of the textual category of composition, explicated in the genre of protocol in the official business framework of the religious functional style.

T. V. Matveeva notes that the text category is "one of the interrelated essential features of the text, which is a reflection of a certain part of the general textual meaning by various linguistic, speech and textual (composite) means. Each text category embodies a separate semantic line of the text (for example, the idea of time), expressed by a group of means that form an organized set, an intra-textual integrity" [21, p. 480]. T. V. Matveeva believes that "depending on the nature of linguistic expression, text categories should be divided into three varieties: linear, field and volumetric". In three-dimensional categories, T. V. Matveeva suggests using the term "block" to refer to a fragment [22, p.16] and notes that the composition is an important component and covers the following main blocks: title, beginning, introduction, ending [22, p.18]. The textual category of composition is studied in different styles and genres [4, 7, 15, 30], but its implementation in the protocol genre has not yet been investigated.

The genre of the protocol in traditional use has a strict composition, "its substantive parts are strictly defined and arranged in a fixed sequence" [21, p. 351]

Let's consider the composition of the protocol genre in a religious style. The full minutes, as a rule, have a common heading that records the genre and date of the meeting in order to ensure relevance and traceability: JOURNALS OF the Holy Synod dated May 30, 2024 [http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/6132831.html ]; JOURNALS OF the Holy Synod dated December 29, 2022 [http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/5989206.html ]. Protocols in the Russian Orthodox Church are called journals.

From 1997 to November 2000, the title complex, in addition to the genre and date of the meeting, includes the position of chairman, as well as the full name of the meeting: on December 25-26, 1997, under the chairmanship of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia, the next meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church was held [http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/4971847.html ]; November 8, 2000, under the chairmanship of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II held a meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church [http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/4923032.html ].

From December 27, 2000 to the present, the venue of the meeting was added to the headline complex: on December 26-27, 2001, a regular meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church was held in Moscow under the chairmanship of Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia [http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/4896287.html ]; On December 27, 2005, under the chairmanship of His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia in the Patriarchal A meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church was held at the working residence in Chisty Lane [http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/1501491.html ].

From 2013 to December 2021, the headline complex is expanding, a detailed list of permanent members of the Holy Synod and a full list of those invited to the meeting were added to it, which made the protocol more complete: Permanent members of the Holy Synod are: Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev and All Ukraine; Metropolitan Vladimir of St. Petersburg and Ladoga; Metropolitan Filaret of Minsk and Slutsk Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus; Metropolitan Juvenal of Krutitsky and Kolomna; Metropolitan Vladimir of Chisinau and All Moldova; Metropolitan Alexander of Astana and Kazakhstan, head of the Metropolitan District in the Republic of Kazakhstan; Metropolitan Vikenty of Tashkent and Uzbekistan, Head of the Central Asian Metropolitan District; Metropolitan Varsonofy of Saransk and Mordovia, Managing Director of the Moscow Patriarchate; Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, Chairman of the Department external Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate. To participate in the winter session (September-February) The Holy Synod of 2013-2014 invited: Metropolitan Sergius of Ternopil and Kremenets, Metropolitan Kirill of Stavropol and Nevinnomyssk, Archbishop Konstantin of Kurgan and Shadrin, Archbishop Joseph of Birobidzhan and Kuldur, Bishop Nestor of Korsun [http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/3478892.html ]. In 2022, this new addition was canceled.

So, the heading complex in the genre of the protocol in the religious style consists of the following compositional blocks: the title fixing the genre and date of the meeting, the position of the chairman, the full name of the meeting, the venue of the meeting, a detailed list of permanent members of the Holy Synod and the full list of those invited to the meeting (in 2022 this was canceled).

In addition, the minutes contain a detailed record of the key issues discussed and important decisions taken before the meeting date. At each meeting, the church carefully sorts and integrates the content accumulated over a period of time to provide a clear and comprehensive overview of the meeting and to provide a convincing basis for subsequent work.

The next composite block is the journal number (protocol). From 1997 to June 17, 2001, the protocol numbering system had not yet been introduced, instead, a separator was used to distinguish and identify different protocols of the same meeting. Since October 2002, the magazines have been numbered end-to-end for one calendar year according to the new style. According to statistics, a total of 5 meetings were held in 2023, at each of which several dozen punctures were accepted, in total their number, for example, in 2023 amounted to 151.

Each journal (protocol) focuses on a separate independent topic relevant to a particular subject of the Church, records the decisions made on a specific issue. The category of the topic develops in the following compositional blocks: "title, introduction (introduction, beginning, exposition), the main part, which, in turn, is structured and consists of several semantic blocks, and the ending (conclusion)" [22, p. 34].

Parts of the protocol (log) are highlighted: ascertaining, or meaningful (listened to) and final, or certifying (decided).

The stating or substantive part is based on the formula listened to (what?): The report of His Grace Metropolitan Kliment of Kaluga and Borovsk, Chairman of the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, on the holding of the X season of the International Children's and Youth Literary Competition named after I. S. Shmelev "Summer of the Lord" in 2023-2024. [http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/6132831.html ]; Message from His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and All Kirill of Russia regarding reports of synodal institutions on their activities in 2023 [ibid.]; Petition of His Grace Metropolitan Vladimir of Chisinau and All Moldova on the establishment of a new diocese within the Orthodox Church of Moldova [ibid.]; Report of His Grace Metropolitan Veniamin of Minsk and Zaslavsky, Patriarchal Exarch of All Belarus, on approval by the Synod of the Belarusian Exarchate (journal no. 18 of February 27, 2024) amendments and additions to the Charter of the Belarusian Orthodox Church [ibid.]; Proposal of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia to include in the permanent members of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church as Chairman of the Financial and Economic Department of the Moscow Patriarchate [http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/6109912.html ]. Let's pay attention to the various genre nominations presented by the participants of the meeting of the Holy Synod: report, message, petition, report and proposal.

The stating part has an optional element – a certificate, which is included in the stating part (listened to) if necessary, clarification of the issue under discussion: In accordance with Article 4 of Chapter VII of the Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church, "The composition of the Inter-Council Presence is reviewed by the Holy Synod on the proposal of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia every four years." The current composition was approved by the Holy Synod in a meeting on October 15, 2018 (Journal No. 80) [http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/6109912.html ]; According to Article 8 of Chapter XIII of the Charter of the Russian Orthodox Church: "The journals of the Synod of the Exarchate shall be submitted to the Holy Synod and approved by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia" [ibid.]; The Holy Synod in session on October 11, 2023 of the year (journal No. 107) established the Synodal Commission on Iconography and appointed Bishop Pankraty of Troitsk as its chairman with instructions to him to submit proposals on the composition of the Commission and its Regulations [ibid.].

A distinctive feature of the protocol in the religious style is the formula of the stating part of the judgment (about what?): on the replacement of the vacant chair of the Serov diocese (Yekaterinburg Metropolis) [http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/6132831.html ]; on the approval of the Regulations on the activities of residential children's church organizations [ibid.]; on the state of affairs in the Birobidzhan diocese; on the decision of the Synod of the Patriarchate of Alexandria on The "eruption from the dignity" of the Acting Patriarchal Exarch of Africa, Bishop Konstantin of Zaraisk [http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/6109912.html ].

The final part of the journal is entered by the formula decided (what?) and it is drawn up with the help of an infinitive: To approve the reports of synodal institutions on their activities in 2023 [http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/6132831.html ]; To approve the journal of the Synod of the Belarusian Exarchate No. 18 dated February 27, 2024, taking into account the proposed amendment [ibid.]; To state the impossibility of concelebration with the mentioned hierarchs who entered into church communion with schismatics [ibid.]; Report to take note [ibid.]; To exclude Sergey Lvovich Khudiev from the Synodal Commission on Bioethics [ibid.]. To convey the direct and indirect meaning of the command, the infinitive is used skillfully and often. Such use is not only effective, but also allows you to clearly express instructions, requirements or suggestions, making communication more direct and accurate.

The final part of the journal is also expressed with the help of nominative, adverbial prepositions and conjunctions, often in phrases with a noun:Due to the fact that the international situation continues to make it difficult for many members of the Bishops' Council to arrive in Moscow, to return to the consideration of the timing of the Bishops' Council in good time [http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/5989206.html ];In connection with the request of His Grace Metropolitan Varsonofy of St. Petersburg and Ladoga to release Archimandrite Nikolai (Paramonov) from the post of abbot of the Holy Trinity Sergius Seaside Male Desert Strelna settlement of St. Petersburg and appoint Abbot Varlaam (Pereverzev) to this position [ibid.]; According to the request of His Grace Arkady, Bishop of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and Kurilsky, to release him from the administration of the diocese with the provision of 2 months leave for treatment [http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/4971881.html ].

Thus, the protocol in the religious style usually has compositional blocks: a title that records the genre and date of the meeting, the position of the chairman, the full name of the meeting, the venue of the meeting, a detailed list of permanent members of the Holy Synod and a complete list of those invited to the meeting; the number of the journal (protocol); the listening block, which contains the agenda of the meeting; the block was decided, which contains the decisions taken on a specific issue. The composition of the protocol in a religious style is generally similar to the traditional composition of the protocol in a secular environment, as it includes parts listened to and decided upon. The differences are the absence of the conclusion block in the religious protocol, as well as the presence of a variable stating part of the judgment. For a deeper understanding of this genre, the perspective is to study the linguistic features of the protocol genre.

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In the article "The composition of the protocol genre in the official business framework of the religious functional style", submitted for publication in the journal "Philology: Scientific Research", the author refers to the study of one of the pillars of the religious functional style. Considering the introduction of theological education into the practice of teaching universities, the development of this topic is a requirement of time, since it helps to establish norms in the use of a certain genre – the genre of protocol. According to the author of the article, at the junction of the "XX-XXI centuries. in the modern Russian literary language, a religious functional style is being formed," which in linguistics is given attention in terms of identifying the features of the liturgical genres of prayer, sermon, epistle, hagiography, akathist. The genre of the protocol, designed to record "the course of discussion of a certain issue and the official decision of this discussion", was not considered comprehensively. This gap is eliminated in the article submitted for publication. The author of the article dwells in detail on the issues of composition of the protocol genre, which has a strict structure, "its substantive parts are strictly defined and arranged in a fixed sequence." Based on the opinion of T. V. Matveeva, who identifies "blocks" in the composition: title, beginning, introduction, ending, the researcher suggests considering the following structural parts. The author refers to the heading block in the genre of the protocol in the religious style: the title fixing the genre and date of the meeting, the position of the chairman, the full name of the meeting, the venue of the meeting, a detailed list of permanent members of the Holy Synod and the full list of those invited to the meeting. The conclusions are supported by relevant examples. Next, the author defines the parts of the protocol: 1. stating, or meaningful, which is based on the formula: listened to what? This type includes the mandatory report, message, petition, report, proposal; the reference in this series is designated as an optional element. In addition, the author points out, a distinctive feature of the protocol in the religious style is the formula of the stating part of the judgment (about what?: about substitution, about approval, about the position, about the decision). 2. The final part, or the certification part, which "is included in the ascertaining part (listened to) if necessary to clarify the issue under discussion" (decided), is made using the infinitive (approve, approve, accept, etc.). "The final part of the journal is also expressed using nominative, adverbial prepositions and conjunctions, often in phrases with a noun." In general, the article "Composition of the protocol genre in the official business framework of the religious functional style", submitted for publication in the journal Philology: Scientific Research, contains new information on the stylistics of the Russian language, the content corresponds to the stated topic, the conclusions are based on well-chosen illustrative examples. The article may be recommended for publication.