Mystical wanderers in 19th-20th century Russia
Article summary proposed by the Contacts review with LLM assistance
This article by Michel Evdokimov examines the figure of the mystical wanderer in Russian society and literature of the 19th and 20th centuries. Drawing on historical study, literary analysis, and spiritual reflection, it traces the various forms this figure takes — pilgrim in continuous prayer, fool for Christ, itinerant philosopher, popular righteous man — through works by Pushkin, Tolstoy, and Dostoevsky, as well as through historical figures such as Skovoroda and Basil the Blessed. The central idea is that Russian mystical wandering expresses a radical detachment from worldly goods in favor of a quest for the Kingdom, rooted in a theology of the way in which Christ himself is "the path." The article thus sheds theological and cultural light on a phenomenon specific to Russian Orthodox spirituality, showing how outward peregrination always points to an inward journey toward God.
This article has not been translated yet — it is available in its French version here.
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