Marju Lepajõe (28 October 1962 - 4 July 2019) was an

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

n classical philologist, translator and religious historian.

Early life and education

Lepajõe was born on 28 October 1962 to the scientists Jaan Lepajõe ( et) (an expert in cereal production) and Leida Lepajõe (et) (an expert in chicken and egg production). She had two brothers and a sister; her brother Madis Lepajõe ( et) became Deputy Mayor of Tartu in 2018. Lepajõe graduated from the Department of Philology at the

University of Tartu The University of Tartu (UT; ; ) is a public research university located in the city of Tartu, Estonia. It is the national university of Estonia. It is also the largest and oldest university in the country.

in 1982. Between 1988-91, she studied classical philology at Leningrad State University. In 1996, Lepajõe defended her Master's degree in Classical Philology at the University of Tartu, her research project was entitled: ''The Fictitious Element in the Dares Phrygian Trojan Chronicle and Its Links to Contemporary Historiography.'' In 2018, Lepajõe defended her doctoral dissertation, which was entitled: ''Pastors and Literary Culture: Variations of Christian Humanism in Estonia and Livonia in the First Half of the 17th Century.'' She was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree as a result.

Career

Between 1985-8 Lepajõe was Senior Librarian, Department of Manuscripts and Rare Books at the University of Tartu Library. This was the start of a long academic career there: * 1992-3 - Assistant Chair of Classical Philology * 1993-8 - Latin and Greek Lecturer, Department of Theology * 1998 - Researcher in Church History * 1998-2001 - Chair of Historical Theology and Latin Lepajõe's research interests included the influence of neo-Platonic philosophy and patristic theology on later Christian thought, as well as theology in Estonian intellectual culture in the seventeenth century. Her research publications included articles on:

demonology Demonology is the study of demons within religious belief and myth. Depending on context, it can refer to studies within theology, religious doctrine, or occultism. In many faiths, it concerns the study of a hierarchy of demons. Demons may be n ...

in Plotinus, Reiner Brockmann - the first poet writing in Estonian, the Estonian syrologist Arthur Võõbus, as well as including many other areas. She was a visiting researcher at universities such as:

Freiburg Freiburg im Breisgau or simply Freiburg is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fourth-largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, Mannheim and Karlsruhe. Its built-up area has a population of abou ...

Göttingen Göttingen (, ; ; ) is a college town, university city in Lower Saxony, central Germany, the Capital (political), capital of Göttingen (district), the eponymous district. The River Leine runs through it. According to the 2022 German census, t ...

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

and

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

Selected works

Translator

Lepajõe compiled the ''Greek-Estonian New Testament Dictionary''. She was also a prolific translator, working on texts from ancient, medieval and modern authors, including:

Plato Plato ( ; Greek language, Greek: , ; born BC, died 348/347 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher of the Classical Greece, Classical period who is considered a foundational thinker in Western philosophy and an innovator of the writte ...

, Plotinos,

Gregory of Tours Gregory of Tours (born ; 30 November – 17 November 594 AD) was a Gallo-Roman historian and Bishop of Tours during the Merovingian period and is known as the "father of French history". He was a prelate in the Merovingian kingdom, encom ...

Innocent III Pope Innocent III (; born Lotario dei Conti di Segni; 22 February 1161 – 16 July 1216) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 until his death on 16 July 1216. Pope Innocent was one of the most power ...

Johannes Scotus Eriugena John Scotus Eriugena, also known as Johannes Scotus Erigena, John the Scot or John the Irish-born ( – c. 877), was an Irish Neoplatonist philosopher, theologian and poet of the Early Middle Ages. Bertrand Russell dubbed him "the most ...

Bernard of Clairvaux Bernard of Clairvaux, Cistercians, O.Cist. (; 109020 August 1153), venerated as Saint Bernard, was an abbot, Mysticism, mystic, co-founder of the Knights Templar, and a major leader in the reform of the Benedictines through the nascent Cistercia ...

Anselm of Canterbury Anselm of Canterbury OSB (; 1033/4–1109), also known as (, ) after his birthplace and () after his monastery, was an Italian Benedictine monk, abbot, philosopher, and theologian of the Catholic Church, who served as Archbishop of Canterb ...

Thomas Aquinas Thomas Aquinas ( ; ; – 7 March 1274) was an Italian Dominican Order, Dominican friar and Catholic priest, priest, the foremost Scholasticism, Scholastic thinker, as well as one of the most influential philosophers and theologians in the W ...

, Descartes,

Martin Luther Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...

, Johannes Risingh, Heinrich von Kleist, Otto Wilhelm Masing.

Translations

* "Fathers: Talmudic Part 4, Treatise 9". Tallinn: Periodicals, 1990 (Creative Library 6/1990) (translation from Hebrew, with Andres Gross) * Carl Morgenstern . "On the Purpose and Subject of a Book Called Plato's Politeia". Academy 1/1993 * Plotinos . "On Beauty" Enneaadid I. 6. Academy 5/1993 * Plotinos. "Spiritual Beauty" (Enneaades V. 8). Academy 5/1993 * A. Hilary Armstrong . "The Teaching of Plotinus." Academy 5/1993 * Werner Beierwaltes . "Love of Beauty and Love of God". Academy 6/1993 * Christoph Wrembek . "The Star of Bethlehem: November 13, 1993 - 2000 years ago" (translation with Mari Tarvas). Academy 11/1993 * Heinrich von Kleist Marionette Theater by Heinrich von Kleist . Academy, 12/1993, pp. 2551–2557. Reprint: "In memoriam Claus Sommerhage". Tartu: Tartu University Press, 2005, pp. 138–144 * Hans Urs von Balthasar . "The Boundaries of Christian Mystery". Academy, 9/1994 * Endre von Ivánka . "From Names to Unnamed". Academy, 10/1994 * Pseudo-Dionysios Areopagita. "From Mystical Theology to Timotheos". Academy, 10/1994 *

René Descartes René Descartes ( , ; ; 31 March 1596 – 11 February 1650) was a French philosopher, scientist, and mathematician, widely considered a seminal figure in the emergence of modern philosophy and Modern science, science. Mathematics was paramou ...

. "Meditations on the First Philosophy" (II and VI). Academy, 8/1996 * Johannes Claudii Risingh, "A Call from the City of Tartu: 1637". Tartu: Tartu University Press, 1996 (translation from Latin; new edition Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2009) * Plato "Politeia: Book VII 514a-621b". Academy 9/1997, pp. 1819–1828 * Jan Szaif, "Plato's Cave Equivalence ". Academy 9/1997, pp. 1829–1842 *

Simone Weil Simone Adolphine Weil ( ; ; 3 February 1909 – 24 August 1943) was a French philosopher, mystic and political activist. Despite her short life, her ideas concerning religion, spirituality, and politics have remained widely influential in cont ...

, "" Ilias "or a poem about power". French tlk. Marju Lepajõe. Rainbow 7-8 / 1997, pp. 82–105 * , "Is a New Renaissance Possible," Tuna, 2/2001, pp. 4–9 * The Nature and Structure of Gnosis by Kurt Rudolph. Translated from German by Marju Lepajõe. Academy, 10/2001, pp. 2125–2140 * Plato, "Works of I. Socrates Apology. Phaidon. Kriton. Dinner. Charmides. Phaidros. Euthyphron." Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2003 (translation of the Ancient Greek dialogues "Phaidon" and "Phaidros") * Eric R. Dodds, "Gentiles and Christians in an Age of Anxiety." Tallinn: Varrak, 2003 (English translation) * Otto Wilhelm Masing "Welcome speech by OW Masing at the solemn reopening meeting of the University of Tartu, April 22, 1802". Translated from Latin by Marju Lepajõe. Rmt: "200 Years of University Studies in Estonian: 1803 Lectures in Estonian and Finnish at the University of Tartu: Anniversary Collection". Tartu, 2003. (Proceedings of the Chair of Estonian at the University of Tartu, 25). Pp. 10–13 * Plotinus "Entheads I.6: Beauty". Interpreter. and comment. Marju Lepajõe. Rmt: "An Anthology of Ancient Greek Literature". Tallinn, 2006. pp. 435–444 * Friedrich Robert Faehlmann, "Observations on Hidden Inflammations". Translated from Latin by Kaarina Rein and Marju Lepajõe. Rmt: Fr. "Works III" by R. Faehlmann. Estonian Literary Museum, Estonian Academy of Sciences Under and Tuglas Literature Center, 2011. pp. 90–152 *

, "From the Prison of the Church of Babel: Foreplay". Translated from Latin by Marju Lepajõe. Rmt: Martin Luther "Selected Jobs". Tartu, 2012. pp. 177–298 * John Scotus Eriugena, "On the Nature of God: Periphyseon, II, 28". Academy, 12/2012, pp. 2115–2130 *

Hieronymus Hieronymus, in English pronounced or , is the Latin form of the Ancient Greek name (Hierṓnymos), meaning "with a sacred name". It corresponds to the English given name Jerome (given name), Jerome. Variants * Albanian language, Albanian: Jeroni ...

, "The Life of the Blessed Paul, Thebes Monk: The Monk Romance" . Translated from Latin and commented by Marju Lepajõe. Rainbow, 1-2 / 2013, pp. 42–51 * From Gregorius Tours "Ten History Books: Excerpts". Translated by Tiina Kala, Marju Lepajõe. Rmt: "Anthology of Medieval Literature I. Latin Literature". Tallinn, 2013, pp. 104–113 (excerpts from books II, VII and IX) * Anselm Canterbury's "Proslogion, or Talk: an excerpt." Translator and author Marju Lepajõe. Rmt: "Anthology of Medieval Literature I. Latin Literature". Tallinn, 2013. pp. 252–259 * Pierre Abélard, Héloïse (?) "Letters of Two Lovers: Excerpts". Translated by Marju Lepajõe. Rmt: "Anthology of Medieval Literature I. Latin Literature". Tallinn, 2013. pp. 287–292 *

, "Speeches on Song of Songs: Snippets". Translated by Marju Lepajõe. Rmt: "Anthology of Medieval Literature I. Latin Literature". Tallinn, 2013. pp. 331–347 * Innocentius III, Human Affliction: The Extract. Translator and author Marju Lepajõe. Rmt: "Anthology of Medieval Literature I. Latin Literature". Tallinn, 2013. pp. 463–485 * Kurt Rudolph, "Gnosis: The Nature and History of a Late Antique Religion." Translated by Jaan Lahe, Jana Lahe and Marju Lepajõe (translated from German), foreword by Jaan Lahe. Tallinn: Tallinn University Press, 2014 * Innocentius III, Human Misery: Part Two. Translated from Latin and commented by Marju Lepajõe. Rainbow, 1-2 / 2016, pp. 87–105

Awards and honors

Lepajõe received many awards during her career, which include: * 1995 Second Prize of the Open Society Fund for English in Social Sciences and Humanities * 1999 Presidential Award of the Republic of Estonia * 1999 Rector-von-Ewers-Preis from the University of Münster * 1999 University of Tartu Raefond Prize for translating 17th century publications * 2009 Language and Literature Annual Award for Best Article * 2010 Cultural Endowment Literature Endowment Article Award (2009) * 2015

Order of the White Star The Order of the White Star (; ) was instituted in 1936. The Order of the White Star is bestowed on Estonian citizens and foreigners to give recognition for services rendered to the Estonian state. Design Classes The Order of the White Star ...

, V Class * 2016 Estonian Culture Capital Scholarship " Life and Shine " * 2017 Cross of Merit of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church, 3rd degree * 2017 Academy Award for the best article in the field of ''socialia'' * 2018 Enn Soosaar Ethical Essay Prize

Legacy

In 2018, Lepajõe was the subject of a documentary by writer and director Vallo Toomla, entitled "Marju Lepajõe: Words of the Day". The film was funded by the Estonian Film Institute and premiered on 27 September 2019. In 2019, Lepajõe's family, the ''

Postimees is an Estonian daily newspaper established on 5 June 1857, by Johann Voldemar Jannsen. In 1891, it became the first daily newspaper in Estonia. Its current editor-in-chief is Priit Hõbemägi. The paper has approximately 250 employees. ''P ...

'' newspaper and University of Tartu established the Marju Lepajõe Memorial Fund. This fund aims to recognize and value research and translation. In September 2019 the fund announced its first scholarship competition.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lepajoe, Marju 1962 births 2019 deaths Estonian classical scholars Estonian philologists Estonian theologians University of Tartu alumni Academic staff of the University of Tartu People from Tartu Recipients of the Order of the White Star, 5th Class 20th-century Estonian translators