I'm not really sure what I think about Tolstoy. Perhaps a good way to approach him is to consider his post-"Anna" writings as fundamentally different from his other work (philosophers do this with Ludwig Wittgenstein, I'm told; apparently he had a giant shift in his thinking mid-career). He is a good / tragic example of what happens when an artist starts believing their own hype - "I, the great Tolstoy, can certainly improve upon the gospel narrative."
>"Working to create the kingdom of God should serve the people of this world, not glorify God."
That sounds halfway towards Dostoevsky's Grand inquisitor - another example of what happens when ostensibly-well-meaning Christians decide to take the whole gospel project and do it up their way instead of following the instruction manual.
I'm really sad that he searched for the truth most of his life, and had some really deep convictions, and then once he found the truth, he twisted it to suit his own ends. And then what's even sadder is that he tried to repent in the end, but his followers prevented him. That made me so mad. I hope God has mercy on Tolstoy even though he did a lot of things wrong.
He was an egotistical heretic, for sure, but mostly he sounds like a hurting man looking for someone to comfort him and give him meaning. I wish he had been as intimate with God as he had with Sophya. Showing her his journals was beautiful and exemplary. I hope to be that intimate with God and my future husband.
I'm not really sure what I think about Tolstoy. Perhaps a good way to approach him is to consider his post-"Anna" writings as fundamentally different from his other work (philosophers do this with Ludwig Wittgenstein, I'm told; apparently he had a giant shift in his thinking mid-career). He is a good / tragic example of what happens when an artist starts believing their own hype - "I, the great Tolstoy, can certainly improve upon the gospel narrative."
>"Working to create the kingdom of God should serve the people of this world, not glorify God."
That sounds halfway towards Dostoevsky's Grand inquisitor - another example of what happens when ostensibly-well-meaning Christians decide to take the whole gospel project and do it up their way instead of following the instruction manual.
I'm really sad that he searched for the truth most of his life, and had some really deep convictions, and then once he found the truth, he twisted it to suit his own ends. And then what's even sadder is that he tried to repent in the end, but his followers prevented him. That made me so mad. I hope God has mercy on Tolstoy even though he did a lot of things wrong.
He was an egotistical heretic, for sure, but mostly he sounds like a hurting man looking for someone to comfort him and give him meaning. I wish he had been as intimate with God as he had with Sophya. Showing her his journals was beautiful and exemplary. I hope to be that intimate with God and my future husband.
And, wow, 10 kids. Wow.