Theological Reflection in Eighteenth-Century Russia

Book excerpt: The book examines the wide panorama of Russian theological reflection found in a variety of sources-ecclesiastical 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.