Orthodox Paradoxes

By Katya Tolstaya

Book Description

The Russian Orthodox Church presents a fascinating spiritual puzzle that challenges conventional understanding of religious tradition. While positioning itself as the most unchanging branch of Christianity, the Church simultaneously embraces new practices and concepts as authentically Orthodox. This compelling contradiction forms the heart of a deeper exploration into what truly constitutes spiritual tradition.

Through nineteen scholarly contributions, this volume examines the intricate dance between preservation and adaptation within contemporary Orthodox life. The authors investigate how a faith community maintains its essential identity while responding to modern realities, revealing the complex mechanisms through which religious traditions both endure and evolve.

For readers interested in understanding how spiritual communities navigate change, this work offers valuable insights into the tensions between innovation and orthodoxy. The examination extends beyond mere institutional analysis to probe fundamental questions about the nature of religious authority and authentic practice.

The book addresses what the contributors call "unorthodox" topics within Orthodox paradoxes, illuminating the ambiguities that arise when ancient faith encounters contemporary challenges. These explorations provide a window into broader questions about how any spiritual tradition defines itself while remaining relevant to its followers.

This scholarly yet accessible investigation will appeal to those seeking to understand the dynamic relationship between tradition and transformation in religious life.

Who Is This For?

📖 Reading Level: Long (> 400 pages) (~12 hours)

📄 Length: 440 pages

What You'll Discover

✓ Explore Modernist-fundamentalist controversy
✓ Explore Congresses
✓ Explore Radicalism
✓ Explore Modernism (Christian theology)
✓ Explore Religious aspects
✓ Explore Russkai︠a︡ pravoslavnai︠a︡ t︠s︡erkovʹ
✓ Explore Religious fundamentalism
✓ Explore Russkai͡a pravoslavnai͡a t͡serkovʹ

Topics Covered

Modernist-fundamentalist controversy Congresses Radicalism Modernism (Christian theology) Religious aspects Russkai︠a︡ pravoslavnai︠a︡ t︠s︡erkovʹ Religious fundamentalism Russkai͡a pravoslavnai͡a t͡serkovʹ Theology Tradition (Theology)