Book Review: Obolevitch T. The Eastern Christian Tradition in Modern Russian Thought and Beyond

Abstract

In the book by sister Teresa Obolevitch, Professor of the Krakow University, the formation and development of the two basic lines within Russian philosophy is shown, i.e., of Soloviev’s «all-unity» system and of Archpriest G. Florovsky’s «Neopatristic synthesis». The author tracks down their intertwinement up to the 21^st-century works by S. S. Horuzhy. Like Fr. Thomas Merton, wide known in the West, Horuzhy also showed up a deep interest in Hesychasm, Zen and their spiritual practices and techniques. Prof. Obolevitch believes that Florovsky had not proposed clear-cut criteria for building up a Neo-patristic synthesis of the present-day Russian thought. Besides Horuzhy, no prominent adherents of this trend of thought are to be seen in the most recent history of Russian thought.