On Christian Leadership: The Letters of Alexander Schmemann and Georges Florovsky (1947-1955)

Paul Gavrilyuk knows how to tell a story. With the publication of On Christian Leadership: The Letters of Alexander Schmemann and Georges Florovsky (1947-1955) this church historian has not only given us the long- awaited publication of the letters between two of the most influential Orthodox Christian leaders of the last century but he tells the story in a captivating manner, through translation and editorial background, that elevates this book to a place of high standing. Through these pages the reader will gain fresh insights and corrections that shed new light onto a story that is worth telling and revisiting anew.

The letters exchanged by Fr. Alexander Schmemann and Fr. Georges Florovsky provide insights into the relationship of the two men that have been obscured by the well-known conflict that eventually erupted between them. We now have hard textual evidence of the young Schmemann’s genuine admiration of Florovsky’s principal views, of the continued cordial relations despite Schmemann’s explicit break with a Byzantine-centric vision of Orthodoxy, and of the vital but essentially non-theological issues that underlay their tragic clash. The last point is tacitly acknowledged in Schmemann’s heartfelt – but unanswered – 1968 attempt at reconciliation. Paul Gavrilyuk’s edition of these documents is exemplary in every scholarly sense. It includes a wonderfully balanced introduction that places the letters in the biographical and historical context in which they arose, copious and accurate notes, and helpful additional information (a chronology and a biographical index).

This book is a marvelous collection of the translated letters--with the authors extensive notes and annotations-- between Alexander Schememann and Georges Florovosky . It provides extensive and insightful information about their early life, church experience, and academic formation and personal life. When Florovosky entered the US he was a universally recognized theologian. His extensive ecumenical and theological experience and writing brought early academic credibility to St. Vladimir’s Seminary. He established the foundation and vision behind the seminary. We read about his impatience and frustrations and need to recruit a brilliant young energetic theologian in the person of Alexander Schememann to help him achieve his mission. Schememann successfully built upon Florovosky’s model that today still provides generations of Orthodox Christian educated priests and leaders fully trained and formed to serve the faith and engage society. This book reveals to the reader so much more depth and meaning to their association than the standard apocryphal stories we hear about why these two exceptional men parted ways. We owe a great debt of thanks to Dr. Gavrilyuk for setting history straight with this remarkable book.