REVIEW OF A.A. PESHKOV'S MONOGRAPH "SAINTS MAXIM THE GREEK, NIL SORSKY AND JOSEPH VOLOTSKY IN THE CONTEXT OF BYZANTINE THEOLOGY"

Alexander Vladimirovich Vorokhobov

Privolzhsky branch of the Russian State University of Justice, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia

Email: vorokhobov@yandex.ru

ORCID: 0000–0001–6936–9971

Issue: № 3 (35), 2026

Pages: 188

DOI: 10.24412/2309-5164-2026-3-

Annotation

The review examines A.A. Peshkov's monograph, which focuses on the theological heritage of three central figures of Russian religious thought in the 16th century in its relation to the Byzantine patristic tradition. The author of the review analyzes the concept proposed in the study, according to which St. Maximus the Greek appears not merely as a participant in the local polemic between the "Josephites" and the "Non-possessors," but as a transmitter of the integral Byzantine worldview and a bearer of a fundamentally different theological paradigm. The review considers Peshkov's critique of established historiographical schemes that oppose St. Nil Sorsky and St. Joseph Volotsky, as well as his thesis regarding Josephitism as an established ecclesiastical-political line inclined toward unifying the spiritual path and suppressing alternative ascetic practices. Special attention is paid to the key thematic landmarks of the work: epistemological issues (the correlation between the "simplicity" of faith and the knowledge of God), soteriology (comparison of "ritual piety" and "active faith"), ecclesiological aspects of memorial practices and monastic property. The conclusion addresses the monograph's significance for overcoming ideologized clichés in the study of the 16th century and for explicating the authentic origins of Russian theological thought, along with observations on prospects for further research of these issues.

Keywords

Maximus the Greek, Nil Sorsky, Joseph Volotsky, Byzantine theology, Josephites, Non-possessors, ritual piety, knowledge of God, soteriology, Old Russian thought

For citation

Vorokhobov A. V. Review of A.A. Peshkov's monograph "Saints Maxim the Greek, Nil Sorsky and Joseph Volotsky in the context of byzantine theology" // Ipatievsky vestnik. 2025. № 2. Р. (In Russian). https: // doi.org/10.24412/2309-5164-2026-3-