Review: Stepashkin, V. A. Serafim Sarovsky. Moscow, Molodaya gvardiya, 2018. 587 [5] pp., Ill. (The Lives of Remarkable People: ser. Biogr.; issue. 1686) ISBN9 78-5-235-04050-2

Abstract

Valentin Stepashkin's book, The Venerable Seraphim of Sarov, on the life of the great saint, was published in 2018 in the ZHZL series and caused much controversy. Hegumen Pyotr (Meshcherinov) summed up its main results succinctly and catchily: "1) there was no bell tower, 2) no stone, 3) no bear feeding, 4) no robbers, 5) no conversation with Motovilov "1. Was it really all right? - No! There were, there were! And bears, and bell towers, and rocks, and conversations, and robbers. But there were also decades of theological speculation without any attempt to rely on facts and archival data, there were immoderate admirers, there were talented dreamers, there was even political conjuncture and personal rivalry.