The Eternal Sacrifice

Isaiah Berlin famously distinguished between two types of thinker, according to the contrast—offered by the Greek poet Archilocus—between the hedgehog and the fox. The fox knows many things, whilst the hedgehog knows one big thing; writers can thus be divided into those ‘who relate everything to a single central vision, one system’, and ‘those who pursue many ends, often unrelated and even contradictory, connected, if at all, only in some de facto way’.1 Where Sergii Bulgakov belongs in this distinction is surely obvious. What is he, if not a hedgehog? Bulgakov himself avers that his sustaining quest is for an integral worldview2 and his ‘Sophiology’ exemplifies such a passion for the unity of all things. It articulates an account of the coherence of the world that relies in turn upon a purported unity of the world with its creator, a unity which itself depends upon the tri-unity of God with God. But Bulgakov is not as simple as this sounds. Bulgakov certainly had a genuine vision—indeed, visions—of unity.3 But he was also aware of the reality of evil and suffering as more than merely formal challenges to his unifying theological vision. Bulgakov's sensitivity to the pervasive disjunction in created life finds expression in an account of the intrinsically ‘tragic’ nature of created reality. In one of Bulgakov's late works, his ‘Reflections on War’ (1940), the revelation of Sophia in history is ‘the confrontation of darkness and light’,4 a confrontation that is glossed most often as the opposition of good and evil, but is at other times presented as the confrontation of being with the ‘nothing’ ‘from which’ the world was made.5 Three recent translations shed light on this dual emphasis within Bulgakov's thinking. Roberto De la Noval's The Sophiology of Death6 collects ‘essays on eschatology: personal, political and universal’. These are all largely untranslated texts, covering a lengthy span of Bulgakov's career as a theologian and each expressing central parts of Bulgakov's thought, which do not always stand out so starkly in the context of the longer monographs. It is a real achievement—elegant, meticulous and consistently reliable7—and makes an important contribution to the study of Bulgakov in the English-speaking world. In particular, De La Noval provides the appendices to The Bride of the Lamb that are omitted in Boris Jakim's translation. The Eucharistic Sacrifice (1939-40)8 is yet another pivotal addition to English-language translations of Bulgakov. With this text, Bulgakov's ‘trilogy’ of Eucharistic works—beginning with ‘The Eucharistic Dogma’ (1930) and ‘The Holy Grail’ (1932)—is now available in its entirety in English. (Although, ‘The Holy Grail’ is in large part devoted to the idea that the blood and water, which flowed from Christ's side [John 19: 34], cannot be wholly understood in terms of the Eucharistic body.) In these pages, the reader finds ample corroboration of the maxim, ascribed to Bulgakov himself by Boris Bobrinskoy, that ‘the deepest origins of the theologian's inspiration must be nourished from the altar’.9 The Eucharistic Sacrifice is, therefore, eminently worthy of translation. A good deal of Mark Roosien's translation is reliable, although errors are, unfortunately, numerous and not always trivial.10 Some parts would benefit from wholesale revision.11 Lastly, the Spiritual Diary,12 translated by Roberto De La Noval and Mark Roosien, is the first complete English version of one of Bulgakov's autobiographical texts, a corpus that includes diaries as well as his Autobiographical Fragments, a collection edited by Lev Zander and published posthumously in Russian in 1946. Some of these ‘fragments’ first appeared in Bulgakov's speculative works, including the text concerning his near-death experiences, which forms part of ‘The Sophiology of Death’.13 Given this integration of the autobiographical into the speculative, Bulgakov's is of more than In addition to De La Noval and for the of the Spiritual was and not in whilst the Russian of Bulgakov's diaries some from the Spiritual and De La Noval and the the translation is and errors are largely and with some these translations Bulgakov's to with the between an on and an of on the of and Bulgakov this an of the of the which is as a the life of the the of is into one in the of for the one finds in the the between good and evil, the Christ's is to of the is its in the of and the context of its is with the of the in an that a in the of and a The is by itself in the of the of the of God and the God be all in which the is to is only on the side of history the of all in the each of these in as are in these recent In so the life of in all these is wholly a in the of the the Lamb the of the world. and the are thus in the one in all with many of the Russian such as Lev and Bulgakov was in A of the provides a coherence to the entirety of Bulgakov's and is in his of the of of Bulgakov be with his of the of history in The Bride of the a which its in the is a in the of the of this world In The Bride of the Lamb and Bulgakov's on Bulgakov's of history as is presented consistently the of the of between and the confrontation of and his with the of and Bulgakov's account of the can of within one can of for is a and of good and of the of De La Noval's collection is that is an in Bulgakov's his on history to his The Sophiology of in a of the a of history in the text the of and the text of But an even text in this ‘The of the of Bulgakov's to of history in such a of the of the nature of history as in the but of to The only to this is the which Bulgakov's in this text another of Bulgakov's to a of an of with an and ‘tragic’ account of are by a and of Bulgakov is an his to history as is presented for the first at some as a and of in this text, history is presented as the opposition of good and evil as with being the of within the of the and the in of this of certainly is from of Bulgakov's of evil and of history as the of but his can surely be Bulgakov's of thus finds its in a of life as if Bulgakov's of unity often the of his of as the confrontation of the of good and evil, to the of is in the of on the of on the of is in the of ‘The of is the and which to the side of the of that with is the of even in the of the of the even the of the of as a and to Bulgakov's consistently is often presented by as an even a of the one is the of the created from the in the with the of the is a But is the of created and the of the to the as in Bulgakov's of his and also at in the In this is ‘the and Bulgakov a of to which as of the of as to as can be understood in terms as expressing the of life as a this of is the of the the of In the as the into is with the of the of But in ‘The Sophiology of Bulgakov his of the of created and the of Christ's with all upon the the the into and the of created life from The is, on the one the of Christ's Bulgakov articulates this of in his distinction of the of from the of Bulgakov had as the of into the his of But in a of and Bulgakov not ‘the light of but created life is an in the in the by is an of created by the revelation of the life The of in the text on ‘The of the of in the of as ‘the of In this of Bulgakov in his the of with and with this the revelation of Christ's on In this thus of of is the of in Christ's from the is, at the of created and but is the of to the of in this not only on the of but as a of of the of and in of of the is in the of to be in the is the as as Bulgakov that a to the world and life cannot be from the of the The of in the of the from the of and to the of In this Bulgakov to a of and Christ's of upon the is the of the of and Christ's is not of but of with the the other of and the of the with a which in ‘The Sophiology of with the the of in to the the of the in of the as the of the life and the to of that life to its In each of to in the of to the in life is an of and not but a Christ's on the is the of as is not merely in a but is the unity is is Bulgakov's of the of the into the of the of the by the in The ‘the of the and the in its is the side of The between and upon the is within the between and in the a that is by the of and in the of the into the the of with the is also the of and in this the of It is a and the of this of in the Holy the of the is the Holy The as the of thus with the as the of with the being also the expression in of the of the with one another in The can all this is the revelation of thus of the life of the of the is ‘the of the It is a a of also the of its and its to the of the of God. The is the of ‘The of the is also which is not only but also within Bulgakov is the life as of as is the of all But this of the of is to the by the in the of created Bulgakov the of history as the confrontation of the of good and But the as of to be the than of is not an to of evil, for good and evil are all, two and the of is by of the by evil and suffering into the of is as a is, in a an of Bulgakov's of an wholly as the of is cannot be but always be and thus that is which is by the of is is the of which the is an a which only more itself to the that is upon by Sacrifice as the Bulgakov is to in the of is, in the of is the of the one in a to the one to is who is also the one from the was first The of is of not at times the of God the world in these of the to by its But is now that to more that the for to the for is being The his being as the as to the is ‘the one and the one who the and are the and the But even these are in in the this is not a but is within the Holy It itself as such the of the who as a of to the and its is the Holy who upon the The of the that in the life of in the for life is always with the the of Sophiology is that one cannot of created life as other than a of into the is in the and to be in the of the the Bulgakov can of a in the the of is The of the to the is, for the not but the of a life is, for not but must of as and as which is, to the life of the in is a in to which the on ‘the of God are and for an and in God by for to as life is the of the in itself in the life is also an an by the of the life to ‘the of the the not merely the of but is a into is a in The Eucharistic Sacrifice that a of the within the to be with the The context for this is Bulgakov's of the of the the is, of the which But is Bulgakov that to an with the the as but the of the that is, ‘the of the on the The is by the of the who the even and Bulgakov of the in the But the a in be in and of and What are to of this of the within the to the of and in the light of Bulgakov to and the In The of the Bulgakov the of the in the one who to and a and on the a Bulgakov this in the context of the of a for and are in the terms of Bulgakov's of the integral of a But Bulgakov that not only a for but also for the on the of God and the of the of the from from the of this Bulgakov the of the as a of the with the thus the by the is not the for is yet to be a a revelation of with Bulgakov to that the is the of the and of the this side of the The the of that of God that be in the and that the of in the thus the of the within the of the within the life of the than the of the one its into Christ's is of the in the of and thus a The to as ‘the one who and is in the to and the that the is Bulgakov this as to an by the of as in Christ's also an of the Bulgakov's for the the of the of the of God into the this as in which ‘the and to the of the Bulgakov this of the with the that of the of the and and to to a life of an of The of the is thus a in Christ's and also the the of life is and must be an a of for the The of the of God is more in The Eucharistic in the that Christ's on the and in the is not an but the by at the not as the of its in the of the of the with In a Bulgakov thus that of the with in the of into the of The of the in the of as the that is into the and of this of as can to that the of not merely an to the reality of life as as the of to the that is of life as and are and if the life is a life of is also a life of is even in Bulgakov's of the as only but an and But to to be within the to would do well to to Bulgakov's of the of the In some of the most speculative of The Eucharistic Bulgakov the is by the to the in the The thus from the as and to the as all that the to the the is the of such that the even in can be to to the Bulgakov is not as a as the of a is the most expression of that in so is the Sophia the of God as ‘the of The of the is, on the one the of the of the and the of the as with this of a which is Sophia as the of all in The Lamb of the of the as is not the of some into the of God as is not as the of the but as the the of the in life is an as a What the to the in the is the as the of God as as The Lamb of God to yet one and that the the in the is the not as the but also as the world. the world is the wholly is at the and world of to the by the The from the is 19: not only to the one on but to everything that was and by to the of in with the is the one to in the of the world by on a The of the is the to God of a one by the of the its by being itself a intrinsically the world as a of and the of this is on the of on the of nature and and on the of as into a of the of De La Noval's to the Spiritual is its emphasis on the of the for De La Noval as his the for Bulgakov as in according to in the The to a life of must not a life of that would this of life stand in the to as the a between and for the of of to the between and presented in The Bulgakov as to and as to the Spiritual Bulgakov's to this on the of the the in The Sophiology of Bulgakov's to the between and on a the for life is into the for within In his text the of Bulgakov that an to the of history was a of the from the of an and a of the the of the and the of the the of history a of the of the is not to be and thus the as a and that is with the of created life as which is ‘the most of the of world a not merely of but of to the in the between and yet more for the of a is to be in but in the of the who into the even the forms of cannot be understood from contribution to the life of the from the is to an on the world. It was in that on that in with at one on the history of his the of in the life of the as an to the more of The of this is the of which in itself all good and the of which are with the Holy of the of God is in history a from a The of God is, of a and this the to which Bulgakov's is out of Christ's of the But the to is the from which the and is the by is that of the the which Bulgakov ‘the of Bulgakov is aware that his of a of the the of the as he is aware that his on the of history the of the first But Bulgakov to is the of the of the that the life of the Bulgakov that this is than such that history the of the his of the within the of can be as an to a of within the as by an for within and not merely whilst the as a to the of a from its this is an on side of which history as are to Bulgakov's emphasis that and not is the of that understood as is also is not an but a is and and is a of Bulgakov's is being so the of some of his and in the Russian for the of was within the of The from the to the of the is the a of evil by the of and the and the the confrontation of and a confrontation only by of of a and a the of the to with and his and the Holy thus at Bulgakov's account of the of history and his of some of the of at the Bulgakov's of the of he can this of by Bulgakov's passion for unity as is in But can he from an of in which the opposition between good and evil is at its most to a of in which is the unity of all with God be all in of Bulgakov's of Bulgakov's is by an of of a an to at the of and the of the with his account of Bulgakov not a of the of cannot that the of the of the and and that to its the from The Bride of the published in The Sophiology of a account of the of the as not a in the of the as the of the with created life as but is an history is always to even the as Bulgakov of a distinction between the and as whilst to so are the of and well as being by the of the the of are also with the of that of which is yet to a in Christ's the The is understood by Bulgakov as the of a on the part of the which yet another in which to its not only a of the to but also the of that was for in the In is a of the history of the of can be to even a by the of the of the Holy this concerning the of is the that the of the the of God this is the of the life of God. a of Bulgakov's of the is an to the of Christ's himself in the of and of Bulgakov that of to the of the is a from the even in Bulgakov's of the the to which his of belongs within the of his Bulgakov's of the is of a with his to a of as ‘the being of the world as the being of as the of life with The of the cannot be other than of and as to the The of this is in the of the history of the is in the the that the of in some that But this not a for the The of Christ's is not to the but ‘the world from the of the of this in the Spiritual Bulgakov the of the on as an for the in light to in by the of Bulgakov the of as for the and to to in the to the in a of is the to the in the of Bulgakov's of the the as the one who the with than the the of in the as the be the of the with the of to his in the not being a for a of of of not in the of to one who nature by of The of by all the the of is not merely a on the part of the is a in of the to but a of that even in the of the Bulgakov to be in of the of is more than a is the within the of that his theological vision. God not merely to be but he to be all in Bulgakov's is that God cannot be all, even in the he is in all, even in the by to the of the the and yet more the of the at in and in the of is a yet into the the of the and the of the are in the of as the of life is thus a to the of can of life as can this a in life as in the the of is the of the the on the of the with an of this of not a The of in this is to the of from being merely a of to its and an of is, the of a of on the part of The of is the of the in of this is and even of God from and the of this is by the to his nature as a The of the as by is, for the of the to this can only be and thus this being The of are, in the of the to this in and its by a the of for his into a Bulgakov to the of to that this in the in terms of the not a to as if the must and the as Bulgakov is the of created life as of the is, as with of the of the thus the life of the on the to as well as the life of the in the of the of the that at the of a for and is the of the in the is as that the life of the is not but and that the cannot the of the life from but only in the from to that is the of The of the is only a of the of but the of to this the not a of and out of the into the the coherence of the into the as a of to be a to In a therefore, is itself a of for a of the to The can only be by the of the to which the must in the But the of a of the expression of the The of is the of the the of in that cannot in a to the a of and for the this of can thus that as the of the in is not of the as as the of is its that cannot is its this can also be as expressing the to the in which the is wholly the even the to of in the of the of is the in the of the this is not a of the but is from the of the the of the Holy In the of the as created and the of the as Bulgakov's account of is thus a makes a contribution to Bulgakov's account of the and of the and the of as the in the of the the of the as finds its within the of the is the if not the of Christ's to this in of by that Bulgakov's passion for the unity of all an of the pervasive disjunction in created disjunction itself most in the confrontation of good and confrontation to the ‘tragic’ of a into which in the with its in the The of as the the of in its even in the of was in Christ's his suffering a of of in the The between God and the in Christ's from the is in the of the in the and in the by the of the in the of the as a not of but of the of if the of the can the the that is the to the unity and between and as even the of the as this the of Bulgakov's of to the of the that and are one by the the to the The of to the as an in the of its the of the at the of life the with its of the created into the of the the of in the of the to the context for created with Bulgakov's of the only within his Bulgakov one of the that not this not Bulgakov himself the to the in the into the of the in which each is a of and thus also into the of the as God life to be in created but one that from this is that and are not merely for even if such as do in Bulgakov's A on these recent translations the of as the of Bulgakov's of unity and can be to the of and an emphasis on from this of a account of Bulgakov's vision. into the also at a for for the of in the of as is to a of as a of and The of to of to be on the of as a of a that With a for that is, of a a of nature in terms of a for as a of the and of What is in is the of the one for the one to is The of the is into the reality of that In this the of life and in that to of this not as a of but as the of of itself to the into the In the of in Bulgakov's can be out by an this between the hedgehog and the fox. the that most the life of God is that of ‘the into a the of Bulgakov's of and thus created the of the for would on the of this that the which Bulgakov's is not the into a but for all into the all with

Epistemology · Sacrifice · Theology · Flannery O'Connor and Thomas Merton · Philosophy · Samuel Beckett and Modernism · Violence, Religion, and Philosophy