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The Sophiology of Death: Essays on Eschatology: Personal, Political, Universal
What will be the final destiny of the human race at God's eschatological judgment? Will all be saved, or only a few? How does Christian eschatology impact Christian political action in the here and now? And what is the destiny of each individual facing the prospect of earthly death? In these essays, Russian Orthodox theologian Sergius Bulgakov (1871-1944) brings the resources of Scripture and tradition to bear on these vital questions, arguing for the magnificent final restoration of all creatures to union with God in a universal salvation worthy of the infinite scope of Christ's redemption. Bulgakov also provides insight into how Christians can strive to bring God's kingdom to earth in anticipation of the peace and justice of the heavenly Jerusalem. The reader will also find in these pages profound theological reflections on the nature of human death and Christ's accompaniment of all humans in their dying, based on Bulgakov's own near-death experience. Together, these essays shed new light on eschatology in all its personal, political, and universal.
230 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2021
About the author
Sergius Bulgakov
62 books75 followersSergei 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.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 24, 2025
wow. very difficult collection of essays. bulgakov is a philosophical/theological giant whose works are in russian and between the subject material, translation, and sentence structure , it is not an easy reading time. the overall collection is a magnanimous view of a God who’s love pervades every aspect of human life . bulgakov is immensely concerned with co-dying with Christ , and a profound sense of Christian duty in life. in this way he is extremely orthodox, and even conservative.
his universalism is not the billboard of the collection, it is more his logical conclusion to all of his reflection. one of the most poignant displays of his affirmative view of apocatastasis comes near the end of the title essay “sophiology of death” and bulgakov straightforwardly and succinctly expresses that God will be all in all, meaning even Satan will be brought to Salvific purpose and fulfillment. It is primarily a logical view for hi
based on my reading of these essays. there are also several brilliant take downs of Conditionalism/annihilationism spread throughout.
and his pieces of personal story about sickness and his funeral are wonderful windows into the type of man he must’ve been. it’s 4 stars because it is rather challenging and prior familiarity with the area of Sophiology would be helpful . Full hearted recommend for anyone looking to get deeper into theology, read a true scholar’s ideas on universalism and the Christian life, or just experience a challenge to think more deeply about life’s greatest questions.
his universalism is not the billboard of the collection, it is more his logical conclusion to all of his reflection. one of the most poignant displays of his affirmative view of apocatastasis comes near the end of the title essay “sophiology of death” and bulgakov straightforwardly and succinctly expresses that God will be all in all, meaning even Satan will be brought to Salvific purpose and fulfillment. It is primarily a logical view for hi
based on my reading of these essays. there are also several brilliant take downs of Conditionalism/annihilationism spread throughout.
and his pieces of personal story about sickness and his funeral are wonderful windows into the type of man he must’ve been. it’s 4 stars because it is rather challenging and prior familiarity with the area of Sophiology would be helpful . Full hearted recommend for anyone looking to get deeper into theology, read a true scholar’s ideas on universalism and the Christian life, or just experience a challenge to think more deeply about life’s greatest questions.
September 10, 2021
The theological concept of eschatology speaks of things yet to come. Whether those things are predetermined or not is a matter of interpretation. Eschatology focuses on "last things," but it is much broader than simple questions about whether and how Jesus might return or whether there is life after death. Eschatology includes apocalyptic elements, but they are not synonymous. What eschatology invites us to consider is how the future will unfold, including our own individual futures. I for one am interested in the question of what the future might hold (I find myself in the open and relational camp on matters eschatological, thus I understand the future to be open).
It is with this interest in matters eschatological that I asked for a review copy of "The Sophiology of Death" by Sergius Bulgakov. Bulgakov was a Russian Orthodox priest and theologian who spent the last we decades of his life in exile in France. Bulgakov offers an interesting story because at one point he was a committed Marxist who later converted to Orthodoxy, a move that would lead to his exile. His theology, as Roberto De La Noval, the translator, and editor of this collection, suggests is "thoroughly eschatological, even apocalyptic." (p. xix). That may be influenced by his experience of the Bolshevist revolution that turned his world upside down and forced him into exile in Paris, where he died in 1944. De La Noval's introduction is worth reading closely to get a sense of who Bulgakov was and how his life is expressed in his theological writings.
"The Sophiology of Death" is a collection of essays edited, introduced, and translated by Roberto J. De La Noval. The book also includes a foreword by Orthodox theologian David Bentley Hart. The essays focus on matters eschatological. As the title of the book suggests, among the subjects to be covered is death. The collection is important in that it gives us a glimpse at Bulgakov's theological views, including his idea of "sophiology." I must confess that I am still trying to understand what this all means, but my interest in Eastern Orthodox theology requires an engagement with what is clearly an important voice in Christian theology. For those of us in the West, there is much to learn from the East.
Hart writes that Bulgakov's work is something of an anomaly due in large part to the context out of which he emerged -- late 19th and early 20th-century Russian religious philosophy. As such, his theological views contrasted with the reigning neo-Palamite theology, which Hart suggests tends to stifle creative Orthodox theology (pp. 9-10). At the same time, it is an expression of Orthodox theology. Thus, despite his mastery of Western philosophy and theology, he remained committed to the Orthodox world.
This particular collection of essays focuses on eschatology. He takes up questions of death, of the second coming, of judgment. Bulgakov's demonstrates an openness to the universal restoration of all things (apokatastasis) as articulated by theologians such as Gregory of Nyssa. It is a cautious move, but it's still an openness that is proving attractive to many Christians. The book is composed of twelve essays. The first essay is an exploration of the antinomy/paradoxical nature of a Christian philosophy of history (eschatology and a philosophy of history are closely related. It concludes with his instructions concerning his funeral, written in 1941 three years before his death.
In the course of the book, we encounter Bulgakov's understanding of the Kingdom of God, socialism, conditional immortality, the restoration of fallen Spirits in dialog with Gregory of Nyssa, and more. The lengthiest essay, running forty-four pages is the essay that gives the book its title -- "The Sophiology of Death." In this essay, Bulgakov explores the relationship between the divine sophiology and the created sophiology (wisdom). The essay focuses in large part on the role of the incarnation in overcoming the power of death, and as such the interrelationship of these two forms of wisdom (sophiology). While this is deeply philosophical, it is also personal as he shares his own view of his impending death from cancer (he died of throat cancer).
Bulgakov's work is dense. It is filled with neologisms. Reading a theologian like Vladimir Lossky, while not easy, is much easier than Bulgakov. Nevertheless, from these essays, we discover a brilliant mind, worthy of engaging. The one thing that would have helped me as a reader would have been a brief paragraph that set the context of each of these essays. Knowing whether the essay came from early in his life or later, would have helped me. Nevertheless, Bulgakov offers us a unique take on things yet to come. And for those of us who are attracted to the idea of the restoration of all things, Bulgakov offers insight that is worth considering.
It is with this interest in matters eschatological that I asked for a review copy of "The Sophiology of Death" by Sergius Bulgakov. Bulgakov was a Russian Orthodox priest and theologian who spent the last we decades of his life in exile in France. Bulgakov offers an interesting story because at one point he was a committed Marxist who later converted to Orthodoxy, a move that would lead to his exile. His theology, as Roberto De La Noval, the translator, and editor of this collection, suggests is "thoroughly eschatological, even apocalyptic." (p. xix). That may be influenced by his experience of the Bolshevist revolution that turned his world upside down and forced him into exile in Paris, where he died in 1944. De La Noval's introduction is worth reading closely to get a sense of who Bulgakov was and how his life is expressed in his theological writings.
"The Sophiology of Death" is a collection of essays edited, introduced, and translated by Roberto J. De La Noval. The book also includes a foreword by Orthodox theologian David Bentley Hart. The essays focus on matters eschatological. As the title of the book suggests, among the subjects to be covered is death. The collection is important in that it gives us a glimpse at Bulgakov's theological views, including his idea of "sophiology." I must confess that I am still trying to understand what this all means, but my interest in Eastern Orthodox theology requires an engagement with what is clearly an important voice in Christian theology. For those of us in the West, there is much to learn from the East.
Hart writes that Bulgakov's work is something of an anomaly due in large part to the context out of which he emerged -- late 19th and early 20th-century Russian religious philosophy. As such, his theological views contrasted with the reigning neo-Palamite theology, which Hart suggests tends to stifle creative Orthodox theology (pp. 9-10). At the same time, it is an expression of Orthodox theology. Thus, despite his mastery of Western philosophy and theology, he remained committed to the Orthodox world.
This particular collection of essays focuses on eschatology. He takes up questions of death, of the second coming, of judgment. Bulgakov's demonstrates an openness to the universal restoration of all things (apokatastasis) as articulated by theologians such as Gregory of Nyssa. It is a cautious move, but it's still an openness that is proving attractive to many Christians. The book is composed of twelve essays. The first essay is an exploration of the antinomy/paradoxical nature of a Christian philosophy of history (eschatology and a philosophy of history are closely related. It concludes with his instructions concerning his funeral, written in 1941 three years before his death.
In the course of the book, we encounter Bulgakov's understanding of the Kingdom of God, socialism, conditional immortality, the restoration of fallen Spirits in dialog with Gregory of Nyssa, and more. The lengthiest essay, running forty-four pages is the essay that gives the book its title -- "The Sophiology of Death." In this essay, Bulgakov explores the relationship between the divine sophiology and the created sophiology (wisdom). The essay focuses in large part on the role of the incarnation in overcoming the power of death, and as such the interrelationship of these two forms of wisdom (sophiology). While this is deeply philosophical, it is also personal as he shares his own view of his impending death from cancer (he died of throat cancer).
Bulgakov's work is dense. It is filled with neologisms. Reading a theologian like Vladimir Lossky, while not easy, is much easier than Bulgakov. Nevertheless, from these essays, we discover a brilliant mind, worthy of engaging. The one thing that would have helped me as a reader would have been a brief paragraph that set the context of each of these essays. Knowing whether the essay came from early in his life or later, would have helped me. Nevertheless, Bulgakov offers us a unique take on things yet to come. And for those of us who are attracted to the idea of the restoration of all things, Bulgakov offers insight that is worth considering.
September 14, 2021
I have studied many books and essays on the philosophies underlying Christian eschatology. This one is very unique. It’s a completely different angle of Christian philosophy. It’s also, as far as my own interests are concerned, an almost complete waste of time except for its uniqueness generally, the first three chapters in particular, and the two chapters which conclude the collection. That means only five out of twelve chapters were not a complete waste of my time. Chapter four is where it began taking a quick nosedive into nonsensical imagineering.
Chapter 4 is an attempt to refute conditional immortality. Yet Bulgokov only interacts with one or two familiar philosophers of his era, showing that he is largely unfamiliar with studies on the topic and he imagines problems that are just that: imaginary. That whole chapter does not even come close to refuting the wide and relatively consistent doctrine of the topic throughout evangelical and catholic dialogue. His rhetoric against it is fascinating, but too far out in lala land to be of interest to serious biblical scholars. At best it will attract the attention of systematic theologians who are already enthused by esoteric ponderings of apocatastasis. I am so far removed from finding agreement with the philosophy underlying apocatastasis that I lose interest quickly in arguments framed to defend it, either by Tradition or the traditional Scriptures. It once entertained me. It no longer does. It’s a really wild and fanciful position to hold on to, considering how little weight it actually holds.
That conviction of my own, which was reached after years of study, explains why chapter 5 is, as I see it, the most absurdly speculative essay in the book. It’s entirely about the apocatastasis of “fallen spirits.” It actually pained me to read this chapter. I even tried reading it twice, as a sort of self-torture, just to be sure I was interpreting it correctly. It really is a dizzying spectacle of biblical illiteracy. There, Bulgokov shows definitively that he understands little of first century Jewish literature and cares even less about its relevance in Christian philosophy. In fact, I suspect he’s completely oblivious to its relevance.
Many more chapters follow in defense of aspects of apocatastasis. They’re all thoughtful and well written, but they take far too much for granted, and everything he overlooks ends up piling into one big lousy conclusion.
The final two chapters, which were very brief (only a few pages), were fascinating and unique contributions, very different than the rest of the collection. One is a homily about the Dormition of the theotokos. The other is a short letter about preparations for his funeral.
Chapter 4 is an attempt to refute conditional immortality. Yet Bulgokov only interacts with one or two familiar philosophers of his era, showing that he is largely unfamiliar with studies on the topic and he imagines problems that are just that: imaginary. That whole chapter does not even come close to refuting the wide and relatively consistent doctrine of the topic throughout evangelical and catholic dialogue. His rhetoric against it is fascinating, but too far out in lala land to be of interest to serious biblical scholars. At best it will attract the attention of systematic theologians who are already enthused by esoteric ponderings of apocatastasis. I am so far removed from finding agreement with the philosophy underlying apocatastasis that I lose interest quickly in arguments framed to defend it, either by Tradition or the traditional Scriptures. It once entertained me. It no longer does. It’s a really wild and fanciful position to hold on to, considering how little weight it actually holds.
That conviction of my own, which was reached after years of study, explains why chapter 5 is, as I see it, the most absurdly speculative essay in the book. It’s entirely about the apocatastasis of “fallen spirits.” It actually pained me to read this chapter. I even tried reading it twice, as a sort of self-torture, just to be sure I was interpreting it correctly. It really is a dizzying spectacle of biblical illiteracy. There, Bulgokov shows definitively that he understands little of first century Jewish literature and cares even less about its relevance in Christian philosophy. In fact, I suspect he’s completely oblivious to its relevance.
Many more chapters follow in defense of aspects of apocatastasis. They’re all thoughtful and well written, but they take far too much for granted, and everything he overlooks ends up piling into one big lousy conclusion.
The final two chapters, which were very brief (only a few pages), were fascinating and unique contributions, very different than the rest of the collection. One is a homily about the Dormition of the theotokos. The other is a short letter about preparations for his funeral.
May 6, 2022
A somewhat "deracinated" collection of essays that all engage in Bulgakov's theology of eschatology whereby the often "thick" demarcation between personal and universal eschatology is eschewed. I might recommend this as a first Bulgakov book as, while it is on "one" topic the editor has put together a collection that is neither too dense nor too alien. If you are 100% unfamiliar with basic Orthodox theological positions/patristics this is NOT for you and if you are stuck in a mechanistic protestant/reformed mindset you will struggle like hell with this BUT you would profit immensely from the slight polemic against Blessed Augustine and predestination found within. Lastly, if you KNOW Bulgakov you KNOW that he is "controversial" in the Orthodox Church so this is also not your typical "Ancient Faith Publishing" piety manual to soothe your need for "staying in conformity with the Church" and pretending that "the Church Fathers never once actually had a thought and there is not such thing as Eastern Scholasticism." I didn't become Orthodox to be a "fundamentalist" (if so I would have stayed a Calvinist).
February 28, 2023
A masterful series of essays on the subject of death, and the working of Divine Wisdom in and through death, including Bulgakov’s own near-death experience. Bulgakov speaks of Divine Sophia and Created Sophia - that is, the uncreated Divinity, and the creation that has been made to become united with God. The eschatological hope and promise is that Divine and Created Sophia will become in union, as Creation (humanity and the cosmos) is divinized. This is already happening, through the overshadowing of the Spirit upon Mary, the Incarnation of Jesus (the God-Man) and the Pentecostal filling of the Church with the Spirit. So death, which Bulgakov speaks of as an unnatural rupturing of humanity’s body, soul and spirit, will still eventually lead to the reunion of these elements in the kingdom. Bulgakov works through the implications of this in terms of Mary; Christ’s death and resurrection; the idea of conditional immortality (which he opposes); and the apocatastasis of all things, including angelic and even demonic beings. Not an easy read at all, but absolutely mind-blowing all the same.
November 3, 2025
Bulgakov's writing on death is well worth the time, and some of these essays and excerpts provide some of the best and clearest examples of what his sophiology looks like in practice.
This volume is a little messy, however. Enough typos to notice, unclear abridgments, and an unexplained method of choosing these selections makes it feel disjointed at times. We have abridged appendices from other works, a homily, and large essays originally from periodicals. Nothing wrong with such a variety, but the bibliographic explanation at the front is not as thorough as I would personally like.
Regardless: Read more Bulgakov, and read this collection.
This volume is a little messy, however. Enough typos to notice, unclear abridgments, and an unexplained method of choosing these selections makes it feel disjointed at times. We have abridged appendices from other works, a homily, and large essays originally from periodicals. Nothing wrong with such a variety, but the bibliographic explanation at the front is not as thorough as I would personally like.
Regardless: Read more Bulgakov, and read this collection.
September 9, 2025
I was not really reading this book for it's Eschatology, but rather its Sophiology, so, needless to say, it was less than I hoped for here for my research, but still a good amount. Especially the chapter that bears the name from the title of the book was good for what I was looking for. Bulgakov is, in any way, a pretty good theologian writer with a lot of good insights.
June 9, 2022
Read “Even so, come” right now.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews