LEO TOLSTOY'S CRITIQUE OF CHURCH CHRISTIANITY
LEO TOLSTOY'S CRITIQUE OF CHURCH CHRISTIANITY

Summary/Abstract: The aim of the paper is a reconstruction and an analysis of Leo Tolstoy's critique of what he called Church Christianity. In the opening section, Tolstoy's general conception of religion as a relationship or an attidute of an individual to the world (which forms the background for the critique) is described. Then Tolstoy's most important criticisms are discussed: (1) marginalization of the authentic teaching of Christ and establishing an alien metaphysical doctrine instead; (2) internal and external problems concerning the doctrine that replace the original one; (3) falsifi cation of the crucial concepts Christ developed; (4) an open denial of certain fundamental teachings of Christ; (5) reducing Christianity to idle talk. The paper concludes with some remarks concerning the nature and scope of Tolstoys's critique.

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