January
3 weekly readings
1
The Thief's Son
Vorov syn
L. N. Tolstoy (retold from Nikolai Leskov)
A respected merchant on jury duty reveals his humble origins as the son of a thief, showing why he cannot judge others.
3
Perfection
Sovershenstvovanie
H. F. R. de Lamennais, with additional content by L. N. Tolstoy
Theological-philosophical reading on the path toward divine perfection and the unity of humanity. Lamennais (1782-1854) was a French priest and philosopher who later broke with the Church; Tolstoy was
4
The Essence of Christian Teaching
Sushchnost' khristianskogo ucheniya
L. N. Tolstoy
A philosophical essay by Tolstoy himself, presenting his understanding of Christianity's core message as the resolution of life's fundamental contradiction between the desire for good and the inevitab