The Petrine Instauration: Religion, Esotericism and Science at the Court of Peter the Great, 1689-1725 (Aries Book Series -Texts and Studies in Western Esotericism, 14)

Drawing on recent scholarship on the history of Western esotericism and religious studies on the importance of millenarian thought in Early Modern Europe, this study provides an innovative re-examination of Peter the Great’s Court in early eighteenth-century Russia. Contents 8 List of Illustrations 12 Notes on Transliteration, Translations, Biblical Citations and Dates 18 Acknowledgements 20 Prelude: Quirinus Kuhlmann’s Millenarian Mission to Moscow in 1689 22 Introduction 28 Part One Jacobite Servitors 68 Chapter One Jacob Bruce (1669–1735): A Scientific Sorcerer at the Court of Peter the Great 70 Introduction 70 Scottish Jacobite Roots 77 Mathematics, Astronomy and Astrology: Early Training in the Foreign Quarter in Moscow and in London in 1698 80 Natural Philosophy 114 Alchemy and Mysticism 118 Religion 130 Advancement of Learning 136 Conclusion 139 Chapter Two Robert Erskine (1677–1718): An Iatrochemist at the Petrine Court 142 Introduction 142 Robert Erskine’s Ancestry and Jacobite Links 145 Medicine and Alchemy: An Iatrochemist at the Petrine Court 155 Erskine the Chemical Philosopher 166 Erskine, Balneology and His Treatment of Peter the Great 172 Astral and Divine Medicine 182 Erskine and Natural Philosophy 192 Erskine the Natural Philosopher 209 Erskine and Religion 212 Conclusion 227 Part Two Ukrainian Clerics 230 Chapter Three Stefan Iavorskii (1658–1722): An Esoteric Wordsmith at the Cout of Peter the Great 232 Introduction 232 Iavorskii’s Kievan Period 235 For Tsar and Country: The Apocalyptic, Mystical and Esoteric Sermons of Stefan Iavorskii 240 Conclusion 290 Chapter Four Mystical Orthodoxy, Progressive Pietism and Esoteric Science: The Eclectic Worldview of Feofan Prokopovich (1681–1736) 292 Introduction 292 Prokopovich’s Theological System: Introduction 297 Prokopovich’s Natural Philosophy: Introduction 317 Prokopovich’s Educational Vision: Pietism and the Petrine Instauration 360 Conclusion 375 Part Three Peter the Great 376 Introduction 378 Chapter Five Peter the Great's Divine Mission 380 Peter the Great’s Divine Mission 380 Peter the Great as King David 385 The Prophetic Significance of the Nystad Peace of 1721 394 St. Petersburg as ‘New Jerusalem’ 406 Chapter Six The Role of Religion and Esotericism in Shaping Peter the Great’s Vision of Scientific Reform 426 Introduction 426 Francis Lee’s Vision of Scientific Reform in Russia 427 Gottfried Leibniz’s Vision of Scientific Reform in Russia 430 Collecting and Marvelling at the Curious: Peter the Great and the Development of the St. Petersburg Kunstkamera 438 Towards an Academy of Sciences 479 The Esoteric Interests of Peter the Great 481 Conclusion 536 Appendices 544 Appendix A Alchemical Authors and Works in Bruce’s Library 546 Appendix B Notable Esoteric Works in Bruce’s Library 550 Appendix C Alchemical Authors and Works in Erskine’s Library 552 Appendix D Notable Esoteric Texts in Erskine’s Library 564 Appendix E Alchemical Authors and Works in Prokopovich’s Library 567 Appendix F Notable Esoteric Works in Prokopovich’s Library 569 Bibliography 572 Index 598 Quirinus Kuhlmann's millenarian mission to Moscow in 1689 Jacobite servitors. Jacob Bruce (1669-1735): a scientific sorcerer at the court of Peter the Great ; Scottish Jacobite roots ; Mathematics, astronomy and astrology: early training in the foreign quarter in Moscow and in London in 1698 ; Natural philosophy, alchemy and Mysticism religion ; Advancement of learning ; Robert Erskine (1677-1718): an iatrochemist at the Petrine court ; Robert Erskine's ancestry and Jacobite links ; Medicine and alchemy: an iatrochemist at the Petrine Court ; Erskine the chemical philosopher ; Erskine, balneology and his treatment of Peter the Great ; Astral and divine medicine ; Erskine and natural philosophy ; Erskine the natural philosopher ; Erskine and religion Ukrainian clerics. Stefan Iavorskii (1658-1722): an esoteric wordsmith at the court of Peter the Great ; Iavorskii's Kievan period ; For tsar and country: the apocalyptic, mystical and esoteric sermons of Stefan Iavorski ; Mystical orthodoxy, progressive pietism and esoteric science: the eclectic worldview of Feofan Prokopovich (1681-1736) ; Prokopovich's theological system ; Prokopovich's natural philosophy ; Prokopovich's educational vision: pietism and the Petrine instauration Peter the Great. Peter the Great's divine mission ; Peter the Great as King David ; The prophetic significance of the Nystad Peace of 1721 ; St. Petersburg as "New Jerusalem" ; The role of religion and esotericism in shaping Peter the Great's vision of scientific reform ; Francis Lee's vision of scientific reform in Russia ; Gottfried Leibniz's vision of scientific reform in Russia ; Collecting and marvelling at the curious: Peter the Great and the development of the St. Petersburg Kunstkamera ; Towards an Academy of Sciences ; Esoteric interests of Peter the Great. The reign of Peter the Great (1672-1725) was marked by an unprecedented wave of reform in Russia. This book provides an innovative reappraisal of the Petrine Age, in which hitherto neglected aspects of the tsar's transformation of his country are studied. More specifically, the reforms enacted by the tsar are assessed in light of the religious notion of instauration – a belief in the restoration of Adamic knowledge in the last age – and a historical and cultural analysis of the impact of Western esotericism at the Russian court. This book will appeal to scholars of Russian history and religion, as well as being of wider interest to those studying Western esotericism in Early Modern and eighteenth-century Europe. The reign of Peter the Great (1672-1725) was marked by an unprecedented wave of reform in Russia. This book provides an innovative reappraisal of the Petrine Age, in which hitherto neglected aspects of the tsar s transformation of his country are studied. More specifically, the reforms enacted by the tsar are assessed in light of the religious notion of instauration a belief in the restoration of Adamic knowledge in the last age and a historical and cultural analysis of the impact of Western esotericism at the Russian court. This book will appeal to scholars of Russian history and religion, as well as being of wider interest to those studying Western esotericism in Early Modern and eighteenth-century Europe.