F. M. Dostoevsky on the Pages of the Church Academic Periodicals of the Late 19th — Early 20th Centuries

Abstract

The article deals with the problem of perception of the creative heritage of F. M. Dostoevsky in the church academic periodicals at the turn of the XIX–XX centuries. The journal of the Moscow Theological Academy «Theological Bulletin» presents a fairly large layer of materials in one way or another related to Dostoevsky (in this sense, the writer leaves Pushkin, Gogol, Leskov and others far behind him). Noteworthy is the breadth of the thematic context in which Dostoevsky and / or his works are mentioned (from historical-literary and religious-philosophical to socio- psychological and natural science). Typical formulas through which the image of a writer on the pages of the Theological Bulletin is determined are a preacher of Orthodoxy, a teacher of pastors, a Panslavist, a psychologist, a philosopher, a genius etc. In most of the publications of The Theological Bulletin, Dostoevsky’s works are not so much an object of historical and literary analysis as they are used as material to comment on current moral and philosophical issues of our time or, as observed in articles of a scientific and theological nature, to illustrate in a language accessible to readers dogmatic foundations of Christianity and Orthodox asceticism. Some articles compare famous people with characters in Dostoevsky’s works (for example, V. Rozanov’s personality and his religiosity are compared with the image of Alyosha Karamazov and his faith in God). Dostoevsky’s reception in The Theological Bulletin is carried out in a religious and philosophical aspect, the writer's creative heritage is viewed not only as the summit phenomenon of Russian literature, but also as a significant factor in Russian Orthodox culture, expressing its most important features.