Heretical Orthodoxy: Lev Tolstoi and the Russian Orthodox Church (Ideas in Context)

Lev Tolstoi was not only one of the world's most famous writers, he was also a deeply concerned thinker and hugely influential critic of the Church whose impact was felt long after his death. For an entire generation, Tolstoi set the agenda for ethical and religious thought, in Russia and beyond. Most of Tolstoi's main ideas drew on his Christian heritage – selected and creatively combined. While he claimed that his life's work consisted of rediscovering the pure doctrine of Christ as it had been before the Church perverted it, in fact he radically reinterpreted the Christian faith he had encountered in his own life, Russian Orthodoxy. This book offers a new and comprehensive account of Tolstoi's relationship with the Orthodox Church and its teachings, and shows how the Russian Church reacted to the “Tolstoi phenomenon” and attempted to counteract the influence of this new “heretic" - with scant success. Cover Half-title Series information Title page Copyright information Contents Preface Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 Tolstoi as a Practicing Orthodox Childhood and Adolescence Nihilistic Period? External Adaptation and Internal Maladaptation Causes Behind the Break Lies and Truth Chapter 3 Tolstoi's Examination of Dogmatic Theology Why the Book Was Written A Neglected Work The Examined Books Tolstoi's Assessment Criteria Doctrine on Salvation Theology of Man God's Incomprehensibility The Attributes of God Chapter 4 Tolstoi, Orthodoxy and Asceticism The Body The Passions Apatheia Apatheia and Theosis Apatheia and Agape Asceticism for Everyone Chapter 5 Lev Tolstoi and Orthodox Forms of Spirituality: Elders The Elders and Spiritual Guidance in Traditional Orthodox Theology Chapter 6 Tolstoi and the Wanderer Tradition in Russian Culture Tolstoi's Encounters with Wanderers Chapter 7 Tolstoi and the Ideal of ''the Holy Fool'' Chapter 8 Father Sergius: Kasatskii's Spiritual Journey to Holy Foolishness Kasatskii in the World Sergius in the Monastery Sergius as an Elder Kasatskii as Holy Wanderer Kasatskii as Holy Fool Chapter 9 Tolstoi and the Social Ideal of the Eastern Church: John Chrysostom Chapter 10 The Church Mounts a Counterattack: Threat Perceptions and Combat Strategies Tolstoianism as a Sect Movement Tolstoianism as an Intelligentsia Movement Individual Orthodox Reactions: Scope and Motives Censorship Chapter 11 Between ''Almost Orthodox'' and ''Antichrist'': Images of Lev Tolstoi in Russian Orthodox Polemics Assessments of Russian Orthodox Radicals Bishop Antonii (Khrapovitskii) Tolstoi Demonized The Solov'evian Synthesis: Antichrist as a Double Chapter 12 The ''Excommunication'' and Its Aftermath Who Were the Authors of the Circular Letter and What Were their Motives? Anathema? Reactions to the Circular Letter Tolstoi's ''Reply to the Synod'' and Orthodox Responses Church Strategies after the Circular Letter Conclusions Chapter 13 A Requiem for a Heretic? The Controversy over Lev Tolstoi's Burial The Requiem Debate: Ante Mortem The Metropolitan's Trump Card: Tolstoi's Will Postmortem ''Mr. X in a Cassock'' Officiates Chapter 14 Summary and Conclusions Russian Orthodox Reactions Bibliography Index "Throughout his long life, Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoi (1828-1910) grappled with the major questions of human existence. Who are we? What is the purpose of life? Where are we going? (Paperno 2014) Almost all his major fictional characters are concerned with these questions and give different answers to them (Orwin 1993). In the autobiographical trilogy Childhood, Boyhood and Youth, the protagonist 'tries out' various philosophical beliefs, seeking to find what can give meaning to human life. These are also the aspects that elevate War and Peace from being a purely historical epic to becoming an existential drama"-- Provided by publisher