Since the Tower of Babel, humanity’s attempts to communicate have been limited by language barriers. The Orthodox Church is no stranger to this problem. In the fourth century, the hymnographer Ephraim the Syrian wished to meet the Orthodox teacher and bishop, Basil the Great. However, Ephraim spoke no Greek, and Basil spoke no Syriac . Only through the translator whom Ephraim had brought with him were the two spiritual giants able to converse. Both saints were moved deeply at the spiritual heights the other had attained, and they delighted in being able to meet and communicate. OCTS was founded in the spirit of this encounter between two Orthodox saints.
Today, quality Orthodox literature exists in many different languages. While clergy and lay people around the world share in a common spiritual struggle, language barriers often make them unable to hear the Holy Spirit through the voices of other Orthodox Christians. OCTS continues the work of Pentecost by supporting the translation of Orthodox texts that have inspired and continue to inspire various cultures and gives contemporary Orthodox Christians the opportunity to meet the voices of Orthodox giants from around the world.
OCTS exists to bridge the gap between cultures and languages through the translation of Orthodox texts and to help translators share their unique skills with the Orthodox world. Unlike other publishers and bookstores, we are a non-profit organization committed to the entire process of creating high-quality Orthodox translations. OCTS is driven by translator proposals. We accept proposals from skilled translators and then select projects to support. Once a project is chosen, OCTS commits to support that project financially from beginning to end. This includes translation, editing, publication, and distribution. Each translator is supported financially according to a method which best suits his or her needs. This may include hourly compensation, compensation based on length of the text, or royalty payments made at the time of sales. In this way, OCTS provides opportunities for skilled translators to commit their time to Orthodox translation work while also supporting themselves and their families or monastic communities.
OCTS uses the most current and innovative publishing process, with a print on demand model. This means that our initial costs for publishing and printing are exceptionally minimal. Each book is printed in the United States or Europe as it is purchased, and delivered quickly to the buyer. When we sell a book, every dollar earned goes towards supporting future work for our organization. Your purchase of a book helps make new publications possible.
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