The Poetics of Georges Florovsky’s 'The Ways of Russian Theology'

• In Event: Revisiting Georges Florovsky’s Legacy after 45 Years

Abstract

Georges Florovsky’s "The Ways of Russian Theology" aims to synthesize the history of Russian thought from the Baptism of Rus in 988 to the final years of the Russian Empire. However, Florovsky does not attempt to provide impersonal, dispassionate history, for he himself makes clear in the Preface that “History is the interpretation of events, the uncovering of their significance and meaning… History has never been unbiased, and never will be.” This paper utilizes Hayden White’s concept of history as literary text in order to deconstruct the poetics of "The Ways" and consider how Florovsky operates as both a historian and a poet, broadly understood.

Author

• Melvin Thomas, Princeton U