Page 174 - Vinkler, Jonatan. 2021. »Češka gos«, Božji bojevniki, obstranci: češka »reformacija pred reformacijo« in njeni evropski ter slovenski konteksti, ideariji in imaginariji. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut
P. 174
»češka gos«, božji bojevniki, obstranci
and knowledge is expected. Consequently, he is able to engage in an effec
tive dialogue also with educated “gospel critics.”
Blahoslav regarded the history of the Church in general, as well as the
Czech Brethren as its special part, as the history of election manifestations,
as the appearance of elected individuals throughout history, from the fall
of man from the grace of God to salvation. In addition, he believed that
the Almighty always had the limbs of his Church in the world and would
have them until the end of the world, although in specific historical peri
ods true believers are not always easily recognized among a multitude of
other people. Hence, Blahoslav did not derive the right of existence for the
Czech Brethren from the development of the Church, its attested historical
structural features and shifts in the course of history, but rather from the
election of believers. The driving force of (Church) history is therefore not
a man with his intentions, conclusions, failures, difficulties, and disputes,
but God through his creative and salvific initiative. With it, He turns the
wheel of history in all historical periods and on all meridians of the world,
in this way always maintaining his Church. Blahoslav believed that in cer
tain periods the Church of God remained hidden, anonymous, and invari
ably in the minority, and only a look in the “rear view mirror” revealed that
it was a true institution of God.
Blahoslav’s translation of the Bible, alongside his knowledge of con
temporary humanistic approaches in translation, demonstrates a specific
understanding of the status of the biblical language. This was attributed a
special solemn and elevated meaning by the translator, which had to be ex
pressed in a suitably high Czech linguistic style without expressions that,
in his opinion, signified the colloquial Czech of the time. Blahoslav artic
ulated such ideas in Grammar (Gramatika, 1571), after having implement
ed them in the translation of the New Testament (Nový zákon, 1564, 1568).
When translating biblical texts, Blahoslav considered first and foremost
systematic and practical theological reasons for the choice of vocabulary
and expressions. He aestheticized and intellectualized biblical writings in
Czech and consciously opted for a more demanding, aesthetically pleasing
language that significantly and over centuries increasingly differed from
the common spoken Czech. His New Testament became the cornerstone of
the Bible of Kralice (Bible kralická, 1579-1593), which served linguistically as
a foundation for the standard baroque Czech and, as a “biblical language”,
for the standard Czech restored by Joseph Jungmann in the 19th century.
Blahoslav thus profoundly influenced the Czech language and its use to
174
and knowledge is expected. Consequently, he is able to engage in an effec
tive dialogue also with educated “gospel critics.”
Blahoslav regarded the history of the Church in general, as well as the
Czech Brethren as its special part, as the history of election manifestations,
as the appearance of elected individuals throughout history, from the fall
of man from the grace of God to salvation. In addition, he believed that
the Almighty always had the limbs of his Church in the world and would
have them until the end of the world, although in specific historical peri
ods true believers are not always easily recognized among a multitude of
other people. Hence, Blahoslav did not derive the right of existence for the
Czech Brethren from the development of the Church, its attested historical
structural features and shifts in the course of history, but rather from the
election of believers. The driving force of (Church) history is therefore not
a man with his intentions, conclusions, failures, difficulties, and disputes,
but God through his creative and salvific initiative. With it, He turns the
wheel of history in all historical periods and on all meridians of the world,
in this way always maintaining his Church. Blahoslav believed that in cer
tain periods the Church of God remained hidden, anonymous, and invari
ably in the minority, and only a look in the “rear view mirror” revealed that
it was a true institution of God.
Blahoslav’s translation of the Bible, alongside his knowledge of con
temporary humanistic approaches in translation, demonstrates a specific
understanding of the status of the biblical language. This was attributed a
special solemn and elevated meaning by the translator, which had to be ex
pressed in a suitably high Czech linguistic style without expressions that,
in his opinion, signified the colloquial Czech of the time. Blahoslav artic
ulated such ideas in Grammar (Gramatika, 1571), after having implement
ed them in the translation of the New Testament (Nový zákon, 1564, 1568).
When translating biblical texts, Blahoslav considered first and foremost
systematic and practical theological reasons for the choice of vocabulary
and expressions. He aestheticized and intellectualized biblical writings in
Czech and consciously opted for a more demanding, aesthetically pleasing
language that significantly and over centuries increasingly differed from
the common spoken Czech. His New Testament became the cornerstone of
the Bible of Kralice (Bible kralická, 1579-1593), which served linguistically as
a foundation for the standard baroque Czech and, as a “biblical language”,
for the standard Czech restored by Joseph Jungmann in the 19th century.
Blahoslav thus profoundly influenced the Czech language and its use to
174
