The Orthodox Church in the History of Russia

Rating:
Summary: An excellent introduction to the subject.
Review: Prof. Pospielovsky's book provides what has long been needed: a concise introduction to this topic suitable for use in undergraduate courses and for the typical, educated reader. He devotes a smaller proportion of the book to the pre-Petrine period than I would have preferred; still, since the bulk of his new contributions are in the twentieth-century sections, that is an understandable tactical decision. If only for the history of the ROCOR (which I had always held in high esteem), this book is definitely worth the price. The Russian Orthodox Church is Satan's greatest enemy, so it has endured his heaviest blows. Here, they are all recounted.