Biblical English?

[Justin Frank]

I love the prayers of the Church, but I feel a little silly using Queens English, KJV English, Biblical English, etc. It just feels a little...pretentious? Ostentatious? :o

Is it necessarily Orthodox to pray this way?

[Father David Moser]

Perhaps it is better to refer to this "jacobean" English as "Liturgical English" rather than "Biblical". It is a form of English that carries in it a lot of beauty and magesty and so is appropriate for our corporate prayer. Private prayer, however, need not be in this formal style (although for some of us, it is more natural than not). The prayer of your heart will pour forth in the language that you speak most easily - so go ahead and pray in whatever form of English (or whatever other language) you wish.

Fr David Moser

[Anthony]

It is also possible to find modern English used even in services, as in the translations from the Monastery of Saint Andrew (http://www.ephrem.plus.com/anastasis), which are (or at least used to be) used in some churches in England.

[Justin Frank]

Thank You, Fr David and Anthony -

[Trinitarian God]

The closest translation from the original Greek written in New Testament and authorised by Orthodox is the New King James Version NKJV,



Hope this helps

http://www.goarch.org

In christ