[Book review] Closest to the Heart : a Mystagogy of Spiritual Friendship in Pavel A. Florenskij’s 'The Pillar and Ground of the Truth'

Abstract

Closest to the Heart. A Mystagogy of Spiritual Friendship in Pavel A. Florenskij’s ‘The Pillar and Ground of the Truth’ is a complex, creative and courageous academic work. It is also a genuine scientific contribution to spiritual theology that is particularly relevant to English speaking readers. As noted in the Foreword by Robert F. Slensinski, “The author of the present, hefty study—indepth analyses abound throughout the volume—helps fill an incredible void in Florenskij scholarship in the English-speaking world…” (p. 11).

This 652 page-book, the fruit of a doctoral dissertation completed at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome in 2019, is complex because the life of Pavel A. Florenskij, his relationships, including his friendships and his writings, are complex. Notwithstanding this challenge, this study has meticulously explored the various dimensions of both the life of Florenskij and The Pillar and the Ground of Truth in a clear and concise manner offering the reader an insight into precisely how spiritual friendship is the key for interpreting this seminal work.