Christianity in Bakhtin: God and the Exiled Author by Ruth Coates (review)

Abstract

this should not deter from what is to follow, namely a range of splendidlywritten chapterson a variety of aspects on culturalidentity (Part i) and literatureand the arts (Part 2). The issues raised in the first part ('Cultural Identity') are: language, religion, Asia/Europe, ideology, and popular culture. Dean Worth'schapter on the history of the Russian language is a very precise and accessible surveyof the development of language. Dimitry Likhachev'sassessment of the role of the church in Russian culturallife through its entire history bears witness to his acumen. His distinction between the 'intelligentsia'traditionallyassociatedwith the church and the 'semi-' (because atheist)intelligentsiaof the Soviet period is a point that would have been worth developing at anotherplace in the book. MarkBassin'spiece concerning the issue of Russia's national identity and her role between Europe and Asia is so perceptive and comprehensivethatthereseems no need for a furtherchapteron the role of Europe. However, this is in no way to dismiss Pierre Hart's interesting contributionto the volume, dwelling on the European divide between classicaland modern traditionsand the impact thishad on Russianculturallife.Abbott Gleason, discussing ideological structures, is one of the few contributors who covers the present time. Finally, Catriona Kelly's chapter on popular culture offers some extremelyvaluablepoints regardingthe patternsemergingin popularculturein the eighteenth and nineteenth century and their relevance for Soviet and post-Soviet culture and society. Kelly'schapter is exceptional in that she definesthe concept of popularculture,while she also appliesa genuinely interdisciplinaryapproachto the topic, coveringa varietyof genres and formsof culturalactivity. Part 2 offers discussions of literature, art, music, theatre and film. Bethea's chapter on literature investigates the special role literaturehas always played for Russia in defining its identity. He distinguishesa seriesof characteristicmotifs and analysesthem beforehe gives a perceptiveoverviewof literaryhistory.John Bowlt's chapter on art is a survey of art movements without, however, offering broader context for the developments in visual arts. Harlow Robinson's chapter on music exploresthe variousinfluenceson music aswell as the development of compositions for opera and ballet. Laurence Senelick's chapter on theatre is excellent and splendidly written. The last chapter dealing with cinema is one of the weakest chaptersin the book. It is fragmentedand, in places, representsa list of names and film titles rather than a coherent text, and this unfortunate structure tends to separatethingsthatbelong together. The volume includes a filmography(thisseems unnecessary),a useful(butrather general) chronology of events, and a bibliography. It remains a mysterywhy two chapters are illustrated (popular culture and theatre) while the 'usual suspects', visual artsand cinema, have no illustrations. The absence of a discussion of architecture and design in the volume is regrettable,as is that of icon painting or rockmusic and youth culture,but overall, this is a valuable companion to any undergraduatestudyingRussian, or indeed to the generalreaderinterestedin Russianculturalhistory. UNIVERSITY OFBRISTOL BIRGITBEUMERS Christianity inBakhtin: GodandtheExiled Author.By RUTH COATES. Cambridge,New York, and Melbourne: Cambridge University Press. I998. xiv + 20Ipp. f37-50Bakhtinwas a Christianand there is evidence of thisin his work.This is the central claim in Coates'sbook and the point is well made and amplyillustrated.A surveyof this should not deter from what is to follow, namely a range of splendidlywritten chapterson a variety of aspects on culturalidentity (Part i) and literatureand the arts (Part 2). The issues raised in the first part ('Cultural Identity') are: language, religion, Asia/Europe, ideology, and popular culture. Dean Worth'schapter on the history of the Russian language is a very precise and accessible surveyof the development of language. Dimitry Likhachev'sassessment of the role of the church in Russian culturallife through its entire history bears witness to his acumen. His distinction between the 'intelligentsia'traditionallyassociatedwith the church and the 'semi-' (because atheist)intelligentsiaof the Soviet period is a point that would have been worth developing at anotherplace in the book. MarkBassin'spiece concerning the issue of Russia's national identity and her role between Europe and Asia is so perceptive and comprehensivethatthereseems no need for a furtherchapteron the role of Europe. However, this is in no way to dismiss Pierre Hart's interesting contributionto the volume, dwelling on the European divide between classicaland modern traditionsand the impact thishad on Russianculturallife.Abbott Gleason, discussing ideological structures, is one...