The Cross and the Kremlin

Late this year, Eerdmans is bringing out a new history of the Russian Orthodox Church: Thomas Bremer, Cross and Kremlin: A Brief History of the Orthodox Church in Russia (Oct. 2013), 192pp.

About this book we are told:

Russian political history and Russian church history are tied together very tightly. One cannot properly understand the overall history of Russia without considering the role of the Orthodox Church in Russia.

Cross and Kremlin uniquely surveys both the history and the contemporary situation of the Russian Orthodox Church. The first chapter gives a concise chronology from the tenth century through the present day. The following chapters highlight several important issues and aspects of Russian Orthodoxy -- church-state relations, theology, ecclesiastical structure, monasticism, spirituality, the relation of Russian Orthodoxy to the West, dissidence as a frequent phenomenon in Russian church history, and more.