Despite the best efforts of the country's leading political figures, social institutions, and intellectuals, Russia has yet to develop a coherent set of political values and symbols around which its society can congeal. In this book, Lee Trepanier does the field a great service by applying Voegelin's thought to the question of how this process has evolved historically and why it has failed so miserably.

This is a learned and cogent exploration of Russian theological and political order from its Kievan roots into the present. It utilizes the primary sources in an energetic way and grounds the core of its theoretical analysis on the philosophy especially of Eric Voegelin. The argument is complex yet lucid and illuminating at every turn. Dr. Trepanier's book will be of great interest to all students of Russian history, church-state relations, literature, theology and politics. Warmly recommended.