Russia's Uncommon Prophet : : Father Aleksandr Men and His Times / / Wallace L. Daniel.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter Cornell University Press Complete eBook-Package 2016
• VerfasserIn: Daniel, Wallace L.,
• Place / Publishing House: Ithaca, NY : : Cornell University Press, , [2016]; ©2016
• Year of Publication: 2016
• Language: English
• Series: NIU Series in Orthodox Christian Studies
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (468 p.) :; 20 illustrations

This lucidly written biography of Aleksandr Men examines the familial and social context from which Men developed as a Russian Orthodox priest. Wallace Daniel presents a different picture of Russia and the Orthodox Church than the stereotypes found in much of the popular literature. Men offered an alternative to the prescribed ways of thinking imposed by the state and the church. Growing up during the darkest, most oppressive years in the history of the former Soviet Union, he became a parish priest who eschewed fear, who followed Christ's command "to love thy neighbor as thyself," and who attracted large, diverse groups of people in Russian society. How he accomplished those tasks and with what ultimate results are the main themes of this story. Conflict and controversy marked every stage of Men's priesthood. His parish in the vicinity of Moscow attracted the attention of the KGB, especially as it became a haven for members of the intelligentsia. He endured repeated attacks from ultraconservative, anti-Semitic circles inside the Orthodox Church. Fr. Men represented the spiritual vision of an open, non-authoritarian Christianity, and his lectures were extremely popular. He was murdered on September 9, 1990. For years, his work was unavailable in most church bookstores in Russia, and his teachings were excoriated by some both within and outside the church. But his books continue to offer hope to many throughout the world-they have sold millions of copies and are testimony to his continuing relevance and enduring significance. This important biography will appeal to scholars and general readers interested in religion, politics, and global affairs.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- Note on Transliteration -- Contents -- Preface -- 1. Murder in the Semkhoz Woods -- 2. Swimming against the Stream -- 3. "The Stalinism That Entered Into All of Us" -- 4. A Different Education -- 5. Aleksandr Men in Siberia: The Formation of a Priest -- 6. First Years as a Parish Priest -- 7. The First Decade: The Writer -- 8. The Transition to Novaia Derevnia -- 9. Fr. Aleksandr and the History of Religion -- 10. Novaia Derevnia: Reaching Out to a Diverse World -- 11. Under Siege -- 12. Religion and Culture (I) -- 13. Religion and Culture (II) -- 14. Freedom and Its Discontents -- 15. "This Was Not a Common Murder" -- Epilogue -- Acknowledgments -- Notes -- Selected Bibliography -- Index