Theological Reflection in Eighteenth-Century Russia

(Hardback)

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Description

The book examines the wide panorama of Russian theological reflection found in a variety of sourcesecclesiastical books, sermons, literature, poetry, theater, historical treatises, scholarly works, and free translations of theology books. It presents not only the reflections of authors who remained in the framework of the official Orthodox theology, but also dissenters, primarily Old Believers and masons, who often sought to infuse Orthodox Christianity with a more personal approach.

Reviews

It is usually believed that Russian religious thought started in the first half of the nineteenth century. As a rule, both admirers and critics of this thought assume that the previous centuries were something like the Dark Ages of Russian religious culture. Adam Drozdek's book casts a new light on the crucial period when traditional Orthodox culture was forced to meet European Enlightenment. Drozdek carefully describes various theological reactions to modernization, reveals the influences of Western thought, and explains the striking forms of Orthodox political theology. The book provides a much-needed survey of Russian religious imagination, which shaped the context of the subsequent original religious thought.

Author Bio

Adam Drozdek is associate professor at Duquesne University.