In the void left by the fall of Communism in Russia during the late 
twentieth century, can that country establish a true civil society? 
Many scholars have analyzed the political landscape to answer this 
question, but in The Orthodox Church and Civil Society in Russia, 
Wallace L. Daniel offers a unique perspective: within the church are 
individuals who hold the values and institutional models that can be 
vital in determining the direction of Russia in the twenty-first century.

    Daniel tells the stories of a teacher and controversial parish priest, 
the leader of Russia's most famous women's monastery, a newspaper 
editor, and a parish priest at Moscow University to explore thoroughly 
and with a human voice the transformation from Communist country 
to a new social order. Daniel explores specific religious communities 
and the way they operate, their efforts to rebuild parish life, and the 
individuals who have devoted themselves to such goals. This is the 
level, Daniel shows, at which the reconstruction of Russia and the 
revitalization of Russian society is taking place.

    This book is written for general readers interested in the 
intersection between politics, religion, and society, as well as for 
scholars.

_________________________________________________________

WALLACE L. DANIEL is provost at Mercer University in Macon, 
Georgia. He holds a Ph.D. in Russian history from the University of 
North Carolina at Chapel Hill.


Eugenia and Hugh M. Stewart '26 Series on Eastern Europe


What people are saying about this book

"Recent studies have focused on the contribution to the development 
of civil society made by the Moscow Patriarchate, the governing body 
of the church. Daniel's "ground floor" approach is a truly valuable 
addition to this literature. The book is largely based on interviews and 
is written with a deep empathy and affection for those dedicated to 
the renewal of spiritual life in Orthodox parishes and local 
communities. . . . This outstanding book will interest scholars of 
history, political science, and religious studies, as well as general 
readers concerned with religion in Russia. . . . it emphasizes the 
salience of the Orthodox tradition in the post-soviet era and will widen 
and deepen the dialogue and debate on the fascinating and important 
topic of Orthodoxy and civil society today."—Slavic Review, Winter 
2007

". . . an important contribution to the study of contemporary Russian 
society, and it should be read by anyone who wants to understand 
developments in post-Soviet Russian politics and culture."—Russian 
Review, July 2007

"A well-written and frequently moving account of the struggle of the 
Orthodox Church to find its place in post-communist Russia. . . . The 
book should be read by anyone interested in the rapidly changing 
reality of contemporary Russia."—Peter L. Berger, Boston University

"A poignant, insightful account of the conflicts surrounding the 
modern Russian Orthodox Church. While exposing its 
inconsistencies, disagreements, and fractures, Daniel also reveals a 
keen empathy for this martyred Church. . . . Reaching down into 'the 
trenches of Orthodoxy,' he finds the Russian Orthodox Church to be a 
powerful force that, as it attends to a needy and scattered flock, is 
also shaping the destiny of Russian civil society."—Nicolai N. Petro, 
author of The Rebirth of Russian Democracy