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Triumphs of the Spirit in Russia

by Donald Nicholl

Summary

By concentrating on stories of the people of Russia over the last two centuries, Donald Nicholl has captured the essence of the work of the Spirit in their lives. In a study of tremendous colour and historical depth, he throws light on the unique contribution made by Russian spirituality to the Christian tradition.

He looks first at the deeds and teaching of four of the nation's spiritual heroes: Saint Seraphim, the purity of his prayer and the miracles that characterised his life as a hermit; the radical thinker Fyodorov who, not content to understand the world as it was, strove to change it to how it ought to be; the great writer Dostoevsky, the catalyst for a new era of forgiveness and reconciliation in Russia, and the scientist Florensky, who sought to reconcile science and theology but was tragically executed for his faith. The author then looks at the spirituality of the simple people, drawing on folk-tales and songs of the Russian peasantry. The book is completed by a fascinating anthology of small, revealing incidents from the post-1917 Soviet Union.

Triumphs of the Spirit in Russia proves that there is much we can learn today from the lessons of another country's past. It evokes the humour, grittiness, honesty and compassion of a nation transformed by the Spirit.