The Burning Bush: On the Orthodox Veneration of the Mother of God

by Sergius Bulgakov, Thomas Allan Smith (Translator)

Translated by Thomas Allan Smith

In The Burning Bush -- the first component of his "minor theological trilogy" -- the great Russian Orthodox theologian Sergius Bulgakov explores the place of Mary the Mother of God in Orthodox theology and devotional practice, in the process critiquing certain aspects of Roman Catholic Mariology. Drawing heavily on the Orthodox Church's liturgical texts and iconography and on his own developing Sophiology, Bulgakov offers a rich explanation of the unique, mysterious role played by the Mother of God as the realization of the human capacity for divinization.

Genres: Theology, Philosophy, Christianity, Nonfiction

215 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 2008

About the author

Sergei Nikolaevich Bulgakov (/bʊlˈɡɑːkəf/;[1] Russian: Серге́й Никола́евич Булга́ков; 28 July [O.S. 16 July] 1871 – 13 July 1944) was a Russian Orthodox Christian theologian, philosopher, and economist.

Reviews

[Lukas Stock]

Excellent example of Bulgakov’s sophiology in action. Read his intro to sophiology then this.

Reading Bulgakov elicits a similar excitement in me as reading Maximos. Captivating and cosmic in scope, there is a dynamism and virility that is contagious.

[Katie Newberger]

This book is full of breathtakingly beautiful reflections on the Mother of God, but it is also a rather dense/slow read. Loved it, but wouldn’t be able to easily recommend it.

[Ben]

I was torn by this book. Parts of it were insanely brilliant, other parts were a bit innovative.