Vladimir Soloviev as a Religious Philosopher

Abstract

Vladimir Soloviev’s thought is so rich and protean almost to defy description; this chapter examines specifically the religious-philosophical dimensions of his work. While Soloviev’s fundamental idea postulating a universal Christianity remained constant throughout his life, it is possible to delineate three phases of engagement with this idea. These were, first, his evolution from a classic nineteenth-century struggle of faith and reason to a statement of the universality of Christ as Godman (until 1882); second, an engagement with Christian politics and the Universal Church (1882–1894); and finally, the formulation of a moral philosophy, part of whose pathos was a vehement opposition to Nietzsche (1894–1900). Soloviev’s unwavering commitment to Christianity’s most basic belief in Christ, combined with deep immersion in German philosophy, enabled him to articulate a universal Christianity that was distinctly modern.