Pawel Alexandrowitsch Florenski Books

Pavel Florensky, a prominent Russian theologian and polymath, is celebrated for his deep engagement with cultural, artistic, and scientific advancements. After becoming an Orthodox priest in 1911, he faced Soviet arrest in 1928 but resumed his scholarly pursuits until his 1933 sentencing to ten years in Siberia. Even in captivity, he continued his scientific work and provided spiritual support to fellow inmates. This volume presents the first English translation of his compelling defense of Russian Orthodox theology, showcasing his intellectual legacy.

Translated into English, this is Pavel Florensky's final theological work. Composed in 1922, it explores the significance of the icon: its philosophic depth, its spiritual history, and its empirical technique.

Exploring the evolution of idealism, this book traces its roots from ancient philosophers like Plato and Aristotle through Neoplatonism and Medieval thought. It delves into Orthodox spirituality and Vedic mysticism, connecting these traditions to astrology and ultimately to modern scientific concepts such as relativity and the multidimensional universe. This journey highlights the interplay between philosophical ideas and scientific advancements, offering a comprehensive view of idealism's impact across various disciplines.

This is the first complete English translation of Pavel Florensky’s original and ambitious attempt to arrive at a geometric representation of imaginary numbers, in a context that had already captured the attention of other mathematicians, including Gauss, Argan, Cauchy and Bellavitis. Florensky did not limit his attempt solely to complex projective geometry, but extended it to encompass Ptolemaic-Dantean cosmology and Einstein’s Principle of Relativity, as well as a new epistemological theory. The resulting treatise combines various disciplines and explores the relationship between an immanent realm of knowledge and a transcendent one.

Eight important early writings by twentieth-century Russian Orthodox theologian Pavel Florensky-Most of them presented in English translation for the first time. Splendidly interweaving religious, scientific, and literary themes, these essays showcase the diversity of Florensky's broad learning and interests and include his reflections on the sacraments, Russian monastic culture, and other topics. The volume concludes with "The Salt of the Earth," arguably Florensky's most spiritually moving work. Book jacket.