A Gospel Book, Evangelion, or Book of the Gospels (Greek: Εὐαγγέλιον, Evangélion), is a codex or bound volume containing one or more of the four Gospels of the ChristianNew Testament – normally all four – centering on the life of Jesus of Nazareth and the roots of the Christian faith. The term is also used for a liturgical book, also called the Evangeliary, from which are read the portions of the Gospels used in the Mass and other services, arranged according to the order of the liturgical calendar.[1]
In the Middle Ages, the production of copies of the Bible in its entirety was rare because of the huge expense of the parchment required. Individual books or collections of books were produced for specific purposes. From the 4th century Gospel Books were produced for liturgical use, as well as private study and as "display books" for ceremonial and ornamental purposes.[2] The Codex Washingtonianus (Freer gospels) is an early example of a book containing only the four gospels, in Greek, written in the 4th or 5th century. By the 7th century particular gospel texts were allocated to days in the liturgical calendar; previously gospel readings had often worked through the books in sequence.[3] Many of these volumes were elaborate; the Gospel Book was the most common form of heavily illuminated manuscript until about the 11th century, when the Romanesque Bible and Psalter largely superseded it in the West. In the East they remained a significant subject for illumination until the arrival of printing. The Evangelist portrait was a particular feature of their decoration.[4] Most of the masterpieces of both Insular and Ottonian illumination are Gospel Books.[5]
But most Gospel Books were never illuminated at all, or only with decorated initials and other touches. They often contained, in addition to the text of the Gospels themselves, supporting texts including Canon Tables, summaries, glossaries, and other explanatory material. Latin books often include the Letter of Jerome to Pope Damasus where Jerome set out to the Pope the reasoning behind his new Vulgate translation and arrangement of the texts, and many Greek ones the Epistula ad Carpianum (Letter to Carpian) of Eusebius of Caesarea explaining the Eusebian Canons he had devised.[6]
Luxuriously illuminated gospel books were mainly a feature of the Early Middle Ages, as the evangeliary or a general lectionary gradually became more common for liturgical use, and other texts became most favoured for elaborate decoration.[7]
Western use
In current Roman Catholic usage, the Book of the Gospels or Evangeliary[1] contains the full text of the passages from all four gospels that the deacon or priest is to read or chant at Mass in the course of the liturgical year. However, use of the Book of the Gospels is not mandatory, and the gospel readings are also included in the standard Lectionary.[8][9]
The Book of the Gospels, if used, is brought to the altar in the entrance procession, while the Lectionary may not.[10] When carried in procession, the Book of the Gospels is held slightly elevated, though not over the head. It is particularly proper for the deacon to carry the Book of the Gospels in procession, as the reading of the gospel is his particular province. When there is no deacon, the Book may be carried by a lector.[11]
Upon reaching the altar, the deacon or lector bows in veneration of the altar, then places the Book upon the altar, where it remains until the Alleluia.[12]
During the singing of the Alleluia, the deacon (who before proclaiming the gospel receives the presiding priest's blessing), or in his absence, a priest, removes the Book from the altar and processes with it to the ambo. If incense is used, the Book of the Gospels is censed by the deacon before the reading or chanting. An altar server or acolyte will swing the censer slowly during the reading or chanting.[13] The Book of the Gospels remains on the ambo until the Mass concludes, unless it is taken to a bishop to be kissed, after which it may be placed on the credence table or another appropriate and dignified place.[14]
^ ab"General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 44" (PDF). Catholic Bishops' Conference of England & Wales. Catholic Truth Society. Retrieved 2 February 2015. Among gestures included are also actions and processions: of the priest going with the deacon and ministers to the altar; of the deacon carrying the Evangeliary or Book of the Gospels to the ambo before the proclamation of the Gospel ...
Calkins, Robert G. Illuminated Books of the Middle Ages. 1983, Cornell University Press, ISBN0500233756
"Commentary", Edward Foley, John Francis Baldovin, Mary Collins, Joanne M. Pierce, eds., A Commentary on the Order of Mass of the Roman Missal, 2011, Liturgical Press, 2011, ISBN0814662471, 9780814662472
Otto Pächt, Book Illumination in the Middle Ages (trans fr German), 1986, Harvey Miller Publishers, London, ISBN0199210608
Palazzo,Eric, A History of Liturgical Books from the Beginning to the Thirteenth Century, 1998, Liturgical Press, ISBN081466167X, 9780814661673, google books
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gospel Books.
Getty Museum feature on gospel books, and another
(the Gospel Book can be seen lying on the Epitaphios)
gospel, book, confused, with, evangeliary, individual, books, disambiguation, evangelion, book, gospels, greek, Εὐαγγέλιον, evangélion, codex, bound, volume, containing, more, four, gospels, christian, testament, normally, four, centering, life, jesus, nazaret. Not to be confused with Evangeliary For individual books see Gospel Book disambiguation A Gospel Book Evangelion or Book of the Gospels Greek Eὐaggelion Evangelion is a codex or bound volume containing one or more of the four Gospels of the Christian New Testament normally all four centering on the life of Jesus of Nazareth and the roots of the Christian faith The term is also used for a liturgical book also called the Evangeliary from which are read the portions of the Gospels used in the Mass and other services arranged according to the order of the liturgical calendar 1 The Book of Kells c 800 showing the lavishly decorated text that opens the Gospel of John Liturgical use in churches of a distinct Gospel book remains normal often compulsory in Eastern Christianity and very common in Roman Catholicism and some parts of Anglicanism and Lutheranism Contents 1 History 2 Western use 2 1 Episcopal Church in America 3 Eastern use 4 Significant gospel books 5 Notes 6 References 7 External linksHistory Edit Folio 72 verso of the Codex Aureus of Lorsch Christ in MajestyIn the Middle Ages the production of copies of the Bible in its entirety was rare because of the huge expense of the parchment required Individual books or collections of books were produced for specific purposes From the 4th century Gospel Books were produced for liturgical use as well as private study and as display books for ceremonial and ornamental purposes 2 The Codex Washingtonianus Freer gospels is an early example of a book containing only the four gospels in Greek written in the 4th or 5th century By the 7th century particular gospel texts were allocated to days in the liturgical calendar previously gospel readings had often worked through the books in sequence 3 Many of these volumes were elaborate the Gospel Book was the most common form of heavily illuminated manuscript until about the 11th century when the Romanesque Bible and Psalter largely superseded it in the West In the East they remained a significant subject for illumination until the arrival of printing The Evangelist portrait was a particular feature of their decoration 4 Most of the masterpieces of both Insular and Ottonian illumination are Gospel Books 5 But most Gospel Books were never illuminated at all or only with decorated initials and other touches They often contained in addition to the text of the Gospels themselves supporting texts including Canon Tables summaries glossaries and other explanatory material Latin books often include the Letter of Jerome to Pope Damasus where Jerome set out to the Pope the reasoning behind his new Vulgate translation and arrangement of the texts and many Greek ones the Epistula ad Carpianum Letter to Carpian of Eusebius of Caesarea explaining the Eusebian Canons he had devised 6 Luxuriously illuminated gospel books were mainly a feature of the Early Middle Ages as the evangeliary or a general lectionary gradually became more common for liturgical use and other texts became most favoured for elaborate decoration 7 Western use EditIn current Roman Catholic usage the Book of the Gospels or Evangeliary 1 contains the full text of the passages from all four gospels that the deacon or priest is to read or chant at Mass in the course of the liturgical year However use of the Book of the Gospels is not mandatory and the gospel readings are also included in the standard Lectionary 8 9 The Book of the Gospels if used is brought to the altar in the entrance procession while the Lectionary may not 10 When carried in procession the Book of the Gospels is held slightly elevated though not over the head It is particularly proper for the deacon to carry the Book of the Gospels in procession as the reading of the gospel is his particular province When there is no deacon the Book may be carried by a lector 11 2008 Midnight Mass at The Cathedral of Saint Peter the Apostle in Jackson MSUpon reaching the altar the deacon or lector bows in veneration of the altar then places the Book upon the altar where it remains until the Alleluia 12 During the singing of the Alleluia the deacon who before proclaiming the gospel receives the presiding priest s blessing or in his absence a priest removes the Book from the altar and processes with it to the ambo If incense is used the Book of the Gospels is censed by the deacon before the reading or chanting An altar server or acolyte will swing the censer slowly during the reading or chanting 13 The Book of the Gospels remains on the ambo until the Mass concludes unless it is taken to a bishop to be kissed after which it may be placed on the credence table or another appropriate and dignified place 14 Episcopal Church in America Edit The Gospel Book at St Mary s Episcopal Church In the Episcopal Church in the United States of America the practice of using a Gospel Book was recovered with the 1979 Book of Common Prayer which suggests that the lessons and gospel be read from a book or books of appropriate size and dignity 15 Eastern use Edit Jewelled and enamelled Gospel book belonging to Tsar Aleksei Mikhailovich Trinity Monastery Aleksandrov This section is empty You can help by adding to it February 2023 Reading the Gospel during the Divine Liturgy Significant gospel books Edit Illuminated page from the 6th century Rossano Gospels one of the oldest extant Gospel Books See also the categories at bottom Rossano Gospels Rabula Gospels Mulling Gospels Book of Durrow Domnach Airgid Echternach Gospels St Augustine Gospels Stonyhurst or St Cuthbert Gospel St John only Durham Gospels Lindisfarne Gospels Lichfield Gospels also known as the St Chad Gospels Leningrad Gospels Book of Kells Barberini Gospels Vienna Coronation Gospels Aachen Coronation Gospels Ada Gospels Ebbo Gospels Codex Aureus of St Emmeram Lorsch Gospels Codex Aureus of Echternach Emperor s Bible Gospels of Henry the Lion Miroslav Gospels Gospels of Tsar Ivan Alexander Peresopnytsia GospelsNotes Edit a b General Instruction of the Roman Missal 44 PDF Catholic Bishops Conference of England amp Wales Catholic Truth Society Retrieved 2 February 2015 Among gestures included are also actions and processions of the priest going with the deacon and ministers to the altar of the deacon carrying the Evangeliary or Book of the Gospels to the ambo before the proclamation of the Gospel Calkins 31 Calkins 18 19 Calkins 23 29 and chapters 1 and 3 Calkins chapters 1 and 3 deals with these in turn Calkins 25 Calkins 148 150 Deiss 36 37 The Proclamation of the Gospel at Mass The Catholic Liturgical Library Archived from the original on 2018 04 18 Retrieved 2015 02 02 General Instruction of the Roman Missal 120 Deiss 38 39 Commentary 128 Paul Turner The Book of the Gospels Edward McNamara A Place for the Book of the Gospels 1979 US Book of Common Prayer p 406References EditCalkins Robert G Illuminated Books of the Middle Ages 1983 Cornell University Press ISBN 0500233756 Commentary Edward Foley John Francis Baldovin Mary Collins Joanne M Pierce eds A Commentary on the Order of Mass of the Roman Missal 2011 Liturgical Press 2011 ISBN 0814662471 9780814662472 Deiss Lucien The Mass 1992 Liturgical Press ISBN 0814620582 9780814620588 Otto Pacht Book Illumination in the Middle Ages trans fr German 1986 Harvey Miller Publishers London ISBN 0199210608 Palazzo Eric A History of Liturgical Books from the Beginning to the Thirteenth Century 1998 Liturgical Press ISBN 081466167X 9780814661673 google booksExternal links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gospel Books Getty Museum feature on gospel books and another Photo of Orthodox deacon holding Gospel Book Photo of Paschal Liturgy the Gospel Book can be seen lying on the Epitaphios Reading the Gospel at All Night Vigil Photo of Confession Photo of Gospel Book enthroned at council Photo of deacon reading the Gospel Funeral of an Orthodox Bishop St John Maximovitch showing Gospel Book in coffin Jewelled Gospel book Romanov collection at the Alexander Palace Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gospel Book amp oldid 1156796862, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
